Coming Together
by Raderle
Summary: Sequel to Can't Stay Away. Callen and Nell decide to see each other again. As their relationship grows, danger is coming not only for Callen but for the whole team. Will they survive the man seeking revenge or will someone die? This story focuses on Callen and Nell but the whole team is involved and there are traces of Densi.
1. Chapter 1: Upcoming Danger

TITLE: Coming Together

Who is after Callen? Will they succeed in getting revenge on him and his team?

I've had requests to continue the "Can't Stay Away" story but it was always only a one-shot. My minions have been pestering me to take pity on my readers, so even though it's taken me quite a while (major writer's block on the case fic portion of the story!), here's the sequel. This story takes place after Hetty went to Romania and after Kensi's mission to Afghanistan.

I only own my own characters Mark and Stefan. If you recognize them, they belong to NCIS Los Angeles unless they are a character from a previous story of mine.

Anything in bold italics is a quote from my one-shot "Can't Stay Away". Anything in regular italics is thoughts.

Nope…no matter how hard I wish, NCIS LA nor any of the characters on the show are mine. And sadly, they never will be.

My minions are dancing around the room because I've finally started posting a new story. They can't wait to hear from my readers on whether or not they like this new story. Their little eyes are crossed in anticipation.

Reviews are always welcome. If you are enjoying this story, drop me a line and tell me why.

Enjoy.

~,~,~

CHAPTER 1: Upcoming Danger

He stood in front of his family's home staring at all the damage that had been done during the shootout with the four Americans. Almost every member of his family had been killed during the fight and most of the rest had been wounded as had he. He didn't know where the remaining members of his family were currently hiding. He knew his cousin Dracul had vanished somewhere but he wasn't sure how many others had survived and his thoughts were in turmoil. He stood there in a towering rage holding four grainy black and white photographs in his hand. His body was shaking with anger and pain as he looked around at the devastation. "I will avenge you all! I promise. He will not get away with this. I will find him and make him suffer for a very long time before I finally kill him as slowly as possible. This I swear on your bodies!"

As he continued looking around, he began tearing the photographs into tiny pieces while letting them fall to the ground around him even though every move of his arm sent shards of pain throughout his body from the wound in his shoulder. By the time he was finished, the people in the photographs were unrecognizable. All that could be seen in the tiny pieces were parts of people, one showing what looked like light curls, a piercing eye that might be blue in color if the photo wasn't in black and white in a different piece, black skin in another and one piece that showed an eye with what looked like a lighter ring around the dark pupil. It didn't matter though because he knew who they were. He would find them and kill every one of them, leaving their leader for the last so he could see the suffering his team went through because of him. He would destroy the team and then that traitorous woman who had come to Romania pretending to be family.

Giving his home one last look, he motioned to the men standing silently around him. "Clean this up and bury my family with honor. Then meet me at the vacation home. We have plans to make."

He turned and was helped away from the scene by his driver.

~,~,~

He had been incredibly lucky to escape with his life but still wasn't sure how he had managed it. He spent many months recovering from his wounds and making his plans for revenge while waiting for his wounds to heal and his strength to return. He spent a lot of time thinking about how he was going to achieve his goal. _"First I'm going to have to liquidate some assets so I'll have plenty of ready cash. I'm going to have to find and assemble a team of mercenaries along with several surviving members of our family to help me carry out my plan. Then I have to figure out a way to get everyone into the U.S. without drawing the attention of the authorities in any way. So much to do. I have to be patient and make sure that everything is in place. I don't want anything to go wrong."_

By the time he was back to good health with the use of his arm again, he was ready to get started. He had used his contacts to try to find Dracul, but hadn't had any luck so far and didn't want to wait any longer before setting his plan in motion. The first step in his plan to recruit a team was completed relatively quickly. Getting them into the United States was taking more time than he liked, but he had to get false identities for all of them so they could slip into the United States undetected. And the false papers had to be good enough to pass undetected through customs. His family agreed to come with him quickly. It took him months to find and recruit the men who weren't family to form the team to help him. One he had the papers for each man in his team, he arranged for them to slip into the U.S. either alone or in pairs so they wouldn't attract attention. Once everyone arrived, they were to rendezvous with him in Los Angeles for further instructions.

Revenge was all he had left to live for. He was going to make them pay, and pay dearly for what they had done to him and his.

He slipped into the United States ahead of his team and found a building in an older part of the warehouse district in Los Angeles he could use as his main headquarters for his vengeance. He also found another building to use as a backup location. Everyone had to be in place in Los Angeles before he began the next step.

As he sat waiting for the men he had recruited to arrive, he thought back to when his quest for revenge had started. _"Those damn people came to my family's home, in my country, to protect him! He should be dead now, not back home enjoying life. Almost my whole family died in the fire fight. I was lucky to get away and I didn't make it out unhurt. It's taken months for me to get back into shape and then more months to get the team together. I'll have my revenge on him though, just like my grandfather did on his mother. It's too bad he wasn't killed when his mother was. His entire line should have ended that day on the beach. If it had, my family would still be alive. I will finish it now. It's time."_

One by one the men he had hired arrived at the warehouse he was using to plan his revenge. Once his team arrived and rendezvoused with him, the second step in his plan was complete. He knew he had to remain patient and follow his plan one step at a time and have everything completed that was required for each step before he took the next step. His target's teammates would be watching his back like they always did so he couldn't afford to make any mistakes. He wanted to take them all out before they knew what was coming. He could be a patient man when he needed to be and for this to be successful, he had to be very patient.

Once his whole team was standing in front of him in the warehouse, he laid out his main plan and the contingency plans he had made in case anything went wrong. He wasn't going to take any chances with something going wrong without a backup plan in place. Too much was riding on everything going according to plan. He wasn't staying at the warehouse himself because he didn't trust anyone to know where he was when he wasn't there.

One of his men, Mark Anderson, one of the few he trusted implicitly, worked at the Naval Base in San Diego. He was put in charge of selecting a target for the next step in his plan. He and Mark went back years. They had met when he was in college in the United States and had become fast friends. He had invited Mark to Romania to meet his family. From that beginning they had grown closer with Mark becoming a trusted ally and participant in the family business. While he had been recovering in Romania, Mark had returned to the states and gotten his job at the Naval Base in preparation for Stefan's arrival. He was now in the perfect position to help Stefan with whatever intel he might need.

He and Mark met on several occasions to talk about what would be needed to draw the team out. They spent days throwing out ideas and then dissecting them until they both agreed on what they were going to do next. Once they had that part of the plan in place, he told Mark to take his time to find an appropriate target to use as bait to draw the American out where he could be killed. He gave him a burner phone to contact him on and gave him all the information he would need to select the right target as bait. "As soon as you've selected your target, let me know and I'll get you the device to plant in his car. Take care old friend. I don't want anything happening to you."

"Don't worry Stefan. I'll be careful. I want to see this through with you. You and your family took me in and made me part of something I'd never had. I feel like it was my family that was killed as well."

~,~,~


	2. Chapter 2: First Real Date

Nell is waiting for Callen to take her on their first official date. Will everything go well or will they go down in flames?

Anything in italics within single quotes is a quote from my one-shot "Can't Stay Away". Anything in italics and double quotes is thoughts.

Nope…no matter how hard I wish, NCIS LA nor any of the characters on the show are mine. And sadly, they never will be.

I'm encouraged by the words of support from Jimi18, BlackBear53 and blue dogs rock. Thanks so much for your kind words. Reviews are always welcome. If you are enjoying this story, especially this chapter, drop me a line and tell me why. My minions are waiting with bated breath to read the reviews that come in.

Enjoy.

~,~,~

CHAPTER 2: First Real Date

Nell sat on her sofa Friday evening thinking about the dinner she had shared with Callen a few days before. She had been surprised to hear he thought he was too old for her _**'**__I'm no good at relationships, Nell…but this is driving me crazy. I think about you all the time. I know I'm too old for you, but I keep getting the impression that you might be at least a little interested in me as well. If I'm wrong, we can just forget this ever happened and have a nice meal together. Then, tomorrow things will go back to the way they've been.'_

She remembered the look on his face as he waited for her answer. She could tell he getting nervous at what her answer might be. The relief on his face when she finally responded _'Why don't we see where this goes, Hmm? Oh, and for the record, I don't think you're too old for me. I've always been told I'm an old soul anyway.' _was very comforting to her. That was the moment she knew she had a chance with G. Callen and her dreams just might come through if all the stars and planets aligned.

Their dinner had been pleasant with both of them sharing a few things they didn't know about each other. She told him she came from a family of six, with two brothers and one sister. He shared a little about one of the better foster homes he had been in. Neither pushed; whatever was shared was enough for that moment in time.

At the end of the evening, he brought her back to the mission to pick up her car. As he opened the driver's door for her, he had given her a quick kiss on the lips and a whispered _'I really enjoyed our evening. Let's do it again soon, okay?'_

She had nodded her head replying _'I did too. Let me know when.'_ before getting in her car and driving home. She wasn't sure, but she thought she saw him follow her to her apartment and wait until she opened her front door before leaving. It had given her a thrill to know how protective he was being without making it obvious.

The next day was like any other day. When Nell arrived at the mission, she said hello to him as usual and he replied back. He was already in the bullpen trying to get caught up on his paperwork. He was the first one in most days. She continued up to OPS while he remained at his desk. She didn't see him watch her climb each and every stop on her way up to OPS.

They interacted normally when required, although she did notice him glancing at her more often during the day and then giving a quirky little smile when he noticed her glancing back at him. Later that afternoon, he caught her in the burn room and they made plans to spend Friday evening together. He was meeting her at her apartment and they would decide then what they wanted to do.

She was so lost in her thoughts of everything that had transpired since their dinner, that the knock on her door actually startled her even though she was expecting it. She knew it was Callen, so she raced to the door to let him in. Opening the door she was pleasantly surprised at his attire. He had dressed a little more formally than he usually did at work. He was wearing a button down shirt and a sport coat. "Am I underdressed for where we're going?" she asked.

Looking at Nell standing in front of him, Callen wasn't sure what to say. She was dressed in a pair of black jeans that hugged every inch of her, but couldn't be called skin tight. She never wore jeans in OPS so this was the first time he ever seen her in them. They made her legs look twice as long. He continued staring at her because he couldn't get over how beautiful she was. She might be a petit woman, but she was all woman and had curves in all the right places. She had on a pale pink sweater with black boots. If he was honest with himself, she looked good enough to eat! "You look beautiful Nell" was what finally managed to get past his lips.

Nell had noticed his look and was pleased at the affect her attire had on Callen. "Thanks for the compliment G. You're looking very nice yourself." she replied looking him over from head to toe very slowly and watching while a slight flush blossomed on his neck and spread up to his face. _"Who knew the legendary G. Callen could blush."_ she giggled to herself.

"Are you ready?" Callen asked as soon as he got his voice back under his control.

"Yes, I'm ready, where are we going?"

Tweaking her nose, he murmured, "It's a surprise. You might want to take a jacket just in case it gets cold later." Letting Nell close and lock her door, he put his arm around her waist and led her to his car. Depositing her in the passenger seat, he got in, started his car and proceeded to drive toward the water. When he turned down Colorado Ave., she turned to him while giggling "We're going to the pier? This should be fun."

"I'm glad you think so. I know a guy that works at Bubba Gumps. He's saving us a table for dinner and after that I thought we could roam around and decide together what we want to do for the remainder of the evening. If that's okay with you?" he sounded a little unsure of himself by the end of his explanation.

"Sounds like a great evening G." She smiled and once again reached over to place her small hand in his larger one as if to reassure him she was looking forward to their evening together.

They had a great time at dinner sharing additional stories about each other along with having the old fashioned New England Clam Chowder as an appetizer, then moving on to Lt. Dan's Drunken Shrimp entree and finally sharing a piece of Mama's Bread pudding for dessert. They were both pleasantly full by the end of their meal. "That was fantastic, G" Nell enthused. "I couldn't eat another bite."

"Since I picked out the restaurant, why don't you pick out what we do next" Callen suggested.

"Why don't we just walk along the pier and see if anything catches our fancy, G".

"Sounds like a plan." Callen paid for their meal and they walked out of the restaurant hand-in-hand. They slowly continued down the pier laughing, talking and pointing out stores, people or anything else that caught their attention. As the night became cooler, Callen pulled Nell closer to him and wrapped his arm around her waist to make sure she wasn't cold. _"Well, that's my story"_ he thought. "And I'm sticking to it!" It couldn't possibly be because he wanted and needed to feel her closer to him. The longer they were together, the more his feelings intensified for the small woman beside him and he was shocked at how protective he already felt toward her. Oh he was well aware that she could take care of herself if the need arose. She had proven that on more than one occasion, but it didn't make him feel any less protective.

~,~,~

Callen and Nell took their time roaming around the pier while continuing to tell each other about things they were interested in or places they would like to visit. They continued taking their time and simply enjoying each other's company. They stopped in one shop that catered to tourists where you could pick out your own oyster guaranteed to have a pearl inside. "You want to see if we get lucky?" Callen turned to Nell and asked.

"Sure why not. It might be fun and it will definitely be a surprise."

"You pick out the oyster Nell."

"Okay, G." Nell looked over all the oysters available and picked the smallest one on display because she could remember reading somewhere that the smaller oysters usually held the largest pearls. It was also somewhat hairy and uglier than the other oysters. She and Callen then waited in anticipation while the clerk opened the oyster. To their surprise the oyster contained twin black pearls; each one 8mm large and absolutely beautiful. The clerk asked them if they wanted the pearls bagged up or if they wanted to put them in a setting.

Nell was for bagging them up and taking them home, but Callen wanted them made into post earrings for Nell. "G, that's not necessary. You don't have to give me earrings."

"I want to Nell. They'll look beautiful in your ears. Unless you would rather have them set into a pearl ring?"

Nell looked at Callen for the longest time and realized he was absolutely serious about having them put in some kind of setting. Looking at the selection of rings first, she decided she wanted earrings instead of a ring. "I think I would prefer earrings, G" she smiled up at him.

"Whatever you want, Nell." Callen paid for them to be set and then watched as Nell put them in her ears and put the earrings she had been wearing into the bag provided by the clerk. He walked her over to the mirror and stood her in front of him so she could see how they looked in her ears. Nell turned her head from side to side to see the earrings. "Thanks G, they're beautiful."

"Beautiful earrings for a beautiful lady, Nell."

Callen put his arm around her after paying the clerk and led her from the store. The clerk watched them leave and envied them their obvious affection for each other _"Maybe someday, I'll find a love like that"_ she thought as she watched them continue down the pier.

~,~,~


	3. Chapter 3: Paris and Constellations

I only own my own characters which include Stefan and Mark in this story.

Anything in italics within single quotes is a quote from my one-shot "Can't Stay Away". Anything in italics and double quotes is thoughts.

Nope…no matter how hard I wish, NCIS LA nor any of the characters on the show are mine. And sadly, they never will be.

Reviews are always welcome. I can't tell if you guys are enjoying this story or not. There have been over 400 visitors, but only 4 reviews. I would really appreciate a review. My minions are giving me the evil eye and telling me I must have messed up this story. If you are enjoying this story, especially this chapter, drop me a line and tell me why.

Enjoy.

~,~,~

CHAPTER 3: Paris and Constellations

Callen and Nell took their time roaming around the pier while continuing to tell each other about things they were interested in or places they would like to visit. Nell had never been to Paris and was looking forward to the day when she could vacation there. She began telling Callen some of what she wanted to do and see while in Paris. Her eyes started sparkling and Callen could tell she was really looking forward to seeing the City of Lights one day.

"Paris is such a romantic city and there is so much to see and do. I want to take a ride down the Champs-Elysées and then visit the Eiffel Tower. I definitely have to see the Louvre and Notre Dame de Paris. There are so many places I want to see in Paris that I'm sure I will never remember all of them. One of these days though, I'll get there. I'm going to have so much fun even if I have to go by myself. I want to eat in a little bistro that has tables and chairs outside so I can watch all the people going by while I enjoy my meal."

"You shouldn't have to go alone. Maybe...maybe we can go together one day, little spider." Callen hugged her to him. He was getting a definite thrill from watching her and seeing her so excited about visiting a place that he had already been to. It would be even better to visit Paris again with Nell by his side. It would be like seeing it for the very first time. And with Nell there, it really would be one of the most romantic cities in the world.

"I'd like that, G, a lot!" Nell hugged him back.

They continued walking around the pier then ended up making their way down to the beach to watch the stars play in the sky over the crashing waves. The night was so clear it felt like they could see into infinity. Nell pointed out Orion's belt to Callen and he pointed out the big and little dippers. She then showed him Cassiopeia while he showed her the star in Orion's belt that was named Betelgeuse. "It's a red giant star, Nell. If you look though a telescope, you can see it's red in color."

"I knew that G, but I like that you know it too." Nell smiled up at him.

They started making up constellations and giving them names for people they both knew, becoming more outrageous with each new one. Callen pointed out four stars that formed a square and named it Deeks' Box which had Nell giggling. She then looked around and pointed out six stars that were shaped kind of like an ear and named it Sam's Ear which had Callen in turn roaring with laughter. When Nell pointed out two small but very bright stars that were close together, telling him she was naming them "the Ninja" constellation because it reminded her of Hetty, Callen burst out laughing again before looking around quickly to make sure Hetty didn't appear by magic, which caused Nell to begin laughing as well.

"You can never be too sure with Hetty, Nell" Callen remarked once he caught his breath. Nell just continued looking at him and chuckling. Before he analyzed what he was doing he reached over, took her face in his hands and kissed her with everything he was feeling. It was an amazing kiss. Nell was sure her toes curled up like they talked about in the movies. Callen felt Nell gasp beneath his lips and was shocked in turn when he felt her small tongue reach out and probe his lips asking for entrance to his mouth. Granting her wish, they began exploring each other's mouth with their tongues. The kiss lasted until they both had to come up for air.

"Wow, that was…that was wonderful, G" Nell managed to say just before Callen claimed her lips again for another searing kiss.

"I couldn't agree more, Nell. Why don't we take this someplace more private?" he whispered. As Nell nodded her head, they began walking back to Callen's car. Once there he sat Nell up on the hood and stood between her legs with his arms around her waist. "My place or yours?"

"Mine, I have more furniture than you do." Nell smirked.

"That you do, that you do" Callen agreed laughing. Giving her one last hug, he lifted her down from the hood and deposited her on the passenger side of his car. He then opened the door and made sure she buckled herself in before he climbed into the driver's seat. Both of them were lost in thoughts of each other on the drive to Nell's apartment.

~,~,~

When they reached her apartment door, she turned to Callen with a smirk "Here we are. Why don't you come into my parlor, G?"

Callen stared at her, "Did you just invite me into your 'parlor'? Are you being the spider and me being the fly?"

"Well, you'll just have to come in to find out, now won't you, G" she replied with another smile.

"_God, she's beautiful when she smiles. She lights up the room. She fascinates me. She may be a pint-sized woman, but she's amazing and there is plenty of power in that small frame. She's a great analyst and she's shaping up to be a great agent as well. I really can see her taking Hetty's place once she retires. I actually think Hetty is grooming Nell for that very eventuality. She'll be able to handle the responsibility too, I know. I can't get enough of her. She's always on my mind now. I even dream about her! I think, no I know I'm falling for her." _Callen watched as Nell opened her door and waltzed into her front room, then turned around and raised an eyebrow. Callen took that as a challenge and stalked over to her after closing the door.

"Okay, little spider, two can play this game" he whispered as he put his hands on either side of her face and pulled her lips to his firmly then wrapped his arms around her so he could keep her pressed up against him while he gently forced her mouth open and claimed it with his tongue. They stood there as he thoroughly explored her mouth while slowly reaching down to caress her ass. She had the most amazing pert little ass with just the right amount of curvature. Hearing her soft moan, and needing some air before he went too far, too fast, he broke off the kiss and just looked down at her flushed face. "How am I doing little spider? Am I completely caught in your web yet?"

"Wow…wow! I think...umm...maybe I'm the fly and you're the spider G. That was…wow…that was incredible. So where do we go from here?" she asked.

Callen looked at her for the longest time before he could find the words he wanted to say. "I want you Nell, but I want to take this slow. I want to…I want…ugh!...I don't want to push you into anything you're not ready for yet. I've never felt like this before and I don't want to screw it up." Callen released her and stepped back just a little so he could control himself.

"G, you're not going to screw it up. I'm a big girl. I know what I want and what I want is you. If it makes you feel better, I'm fine with us taking it slow…as long as we can continue to kiss like that! Otherwise, I just might have to take certain things into my own hands" she said as she slowly drew her gaze down his body from his face to his groin, smiling to herself as she did so and slowly licking her lips. She looked up to see the legendary G. Callen blush bright red and couldn't keep from bursting into laughter while shaking her head "G, you're blushing! I never thought the infamous G. Callen could blush!"

"Nell, you're a…a wicked woman" he sputtered. "And…and I don't know what I'm going to do with you. You keep looking at me like that and I won't be responsible for what happens" he warned her, wanting nothing more than to take her back into his arms and make love with her, over and over again, all night long. _"I want to see her naked. I want to see those pert little breasts and that ass I've only been able to touch through her clothes so far."_ Callen groaned to himself thinking about Nell standing in front of him clothed the way God had intended. "I think we should call it an evening before we both go too far." Giving her a final kiss, he whispered "See you tomorrow?"

"Yes, G, you'll see me tomorrow. Sleep well, I know I will." Nell replied walking him to the door and then stretching up on her tiptoes and giving him a kiss. "Drive safely." She closed the door and leaned back against it as he walked out to his car. Her heart was pounding and she was fantasizing about seeing him naked someday soon. _"It had better be soon! I don't know how long I can wait until I can see all of him and feel him on me and in me. That kiss was amazing. Lord, I could just devour him. He looks good enough to eat!"_ Fantasizing about Callen naked in front of her caused heat to pool deep within her in anticipation. Giving a sigh, she got ready for bed and ended up bringing herself to a climax while dreaming about him between her legs. Once she fell asleep, she dreamed about Callen all night long.

~,~,~


	4. Chapter 4: Getting Closer

I only own my own characters which include Stefan and Mark in this story.

Anything in italics within single quotes is a quote from my one-shot "Can't Stay Away". Anything in italics and double quotes is thoughts.

Nope…no matter how hard I wish, NCIS LA nor any of the characters on the show are mine. And sadly, they never will be.

To my French guest reviewer: Je vous remercie de votre examen. Je suis heureux que vous appréciez l'histoire. J'ai bien aimé les étoiles ainsi.

My minions are happier now that they've seen a few more reviews for this story. Maybe they won't bite my toes when I'm in bed now. Reviews are always welcome. If you are enjoying this story, drop me a line and tell me why.

Enjoy.

~,~,~

CHAPTER 4: Getting Closer

Callen was sitting at his desk in the bullpen catching up on some paperwork when Nell walked in the next morning. Giving him a smile and a "Good morning Callen," she proceeded upstairs into OPS. Callen could swear she put a little extra sway into her walk up the stairs and could feel himself harden at the sight of that cute little ass. That sight and the way her hips swayed as she walked up the stairs brought thoughts of what he wanted to do with her to mind and he forgot he was in the middle of the bullpen as he began to fantasize about what he wanted to do with Nell. _"I want to undress her slowly, one piece of clothing at a time until she's naked in front of me. Then I'm going to explore every inch of her body, especially that perky little ass and those breasts. She may be small but God she's all woman. I've never felt like this before about anyone. I wonder if this is what Deeks feels about Kensi? Am I as besotted about Nell as he is about Kensi? We sure are a pair aren't we? I used to watch Deeks watch Kensi and I knew what he was thinking. He would practically drool around her! Now I feel that same way about Nell. I want her lying beneath me moaning from my kisses and my hands on her body and inside of her teasing her until she's screaming and writhing beneath me. I want her begging me for more as I make love to her in every way possible."_

Callen was so deep into thoughts of Nell that he didn't even notice when Sam arrived in OSP. Sam stopped in front of Callen's desk and watched. He waited to see how long it would take before Callen noticed him. After several minutes passed with Callen still lost in his own world, Sam gave a small cough as he cleared his throat. That didn't even register with Callen. He jumped about a foot when Sam finally had enough and said loudly "Morning G. Where have you been for the last five minutes?" as he set his things down on his desk.

"God Sam, I was concentrating so hard, I didn't even hear you come in. Trying to catch up on my paperwork." He didn't want Sam to know anything about what he had just been thinking and hoped he had distracted him with the comment about paperwork. Sam looked at him silently for several seconds before replying "Sure G. Paperwork". Sitting down, he began on his own paperwork. Callen breathed a sigh of relief when it became clear Sam wasn't going to say any more.

Kensi arrived a few minutes later followed by Deeks at his usual 9:27 am time. Deeks took one look at Callen, raised an eyebrow and then quipped. "Where's Callen and what have you done with him?"

Callen looked at him in puzzlement "What the hell are you talking about Deeks?"

"I'm talking about that dreamy look on your face and the gleam in your eyes. You, my friend, have been out with a woman. And furthermore, you're thinking about her right now. Do we know her?"

"You're crazy Deeks. You don't know what you're talking about." Callen retorted. He had his fingers mentally crossed hoping that no one else was as observant as Deeks was that morning. He really didn't want to have to explain anything about his love life, especially since the woman in question was Nell.

"Sure, Callen. I'm crazy like a fox. And you're protesting much too much."

Callen looked to Sam for some help with Deeks, but all Sam did was raise his hands and give Callen a look. Before Deeks could continue, Hetty made her usual silent appearance. "There is quite a bit of paperwork to catch up on gentlemen. I suggest you get busy."

Callen had never been so happy to see Hetty and have her lay down the law about their unfinished paperwork. The team was between cases and trying to catch up on the never-ending paperwork part of their jobs. As Hetty turned to go, they all got busy. As the morning progressed, it was filled with said paperwork interspersed with bouts of grousing about it, teasing comments from one to another, trips to the coffee machine for much needed caffeine and the futile hopes for a case to arrive. Anything to get them out of paperwork.

~,~,~

Over the next several months, Callen and Nell continued to see each other outside of work. They worked hard to maintain a professional attitude at work to ensure no one caught on to the fact they were dating and continued to take it slow with each other. It was getting harder and harder though to keep their hands to themselves and not lose control at work, but they managed to do it somehow. They both teased each other unmercifully away from work while enjoying each other's company, but usually when one of them went to far and lost control the other was able to maintain it so the farthest they got were some very hot and heavy make-out sessions.

At work there were a few lapses in their control, but so far they had been lucky and not been caught. There was one lapse in the burn room when Callen snuck up on her, gave her a hug, kissed her neck and quickly caressed her ass.

"God, G," Nell squealed. "Don't do that here. What if Hetty saw us? I don't want her separating us like she did Deeks and Kensi." Nell spun around to make sure no one had seen them. Thank God they were in one of the few blind spots in OSP where the ever-present cameras couldn't see anything. Nevertheless, Hetty was all-seeing and Nell was fully aware of that fact.

"Hetty doesn't know about us Nell, and no one can see us here. Quit worrying" he said and then planted a steamy kiss on her lips. Nell loved it when he kissed her. He was a fantastic kisser, but she really was worried about being found out. She knew, better than most, just how sneaky Hetty could be.

When they finally separated and came up for air, she sighed "If you believe what you just said, I have a bridge I'd like to sell you. Hetty probably knows all about us already and is waiting to see if we can keep it out of the office. Let's not do anything to give her a reason to separate us. I don't care if there isn't anything in the Employee Manual about inter-office relationships between analysts and agents. Hetty does what she thinks best, no matter what."

Nell's words made Callen stop and think. "You're right Nell. I'll be more careful." He gave her another smile and a quick kiss then left the room.

She got him back for the burn room stunt later that day in OPS, when he came up to ask her something. She was the only one in OPS at the time so she stood in front of him answering his question while slowly licking her lips and looking him up and down very slowly. Once she was sure she had his undivided attention, she began playing with the buttons on her blouse undoing the two top buttons until just a hint of the top of her breasts and her bra was showing. Callen couldn't look away from her. His eyes turned a smoky blue, his pupils became huge and a flush came over his face. He couldn't take his eyes off her breasts until she whispered "Payback's a bitch, isn't it?" As he realized she was getting him back for the burn room he gave her a small smile and admitted "Yes, it is."

Nell had been right in her belief that Hetty already knew about them. She had known for some time but was waiting and keeping an eye on them. She was happy for the both of them but also worried that it would affect their working relationship. _"It's about time Callen found someone. He's been alone for far too long. I think Nell will be really good for him. He'll find that she won't let him go lone wolf on her without consequences. I only hope it doesn't affect the job. If it does, I'm going to have to do something about it and I don't want that. I hope they can keep it under control. I would hate to have to separate them like I did Miss Blye and Mr. Deeks. I still regret doing that. I didn't handle it well at all, in fact it is one of the biggest failures of my career. Miss Blye was needed in Afghanistan to protect Jack Simon and I don't regret sending her, but I should never have let Mr. Deeks think it was his fault she was reassigned. I should have told him the truth when he came to me and asked me point black if it was his fault. I never thought he would offer to leave and go back to the LAPD so that Kensi could return home. I almost lost him while she was gone and it was through my own stupidity."_

Hetty thought of her premier team as her surrogate family and wanted the best for them all. Reviewing the last few months since Kensi's return, she knew that they had found it difficult to pick up where they had left off in their relationship. Mr. Deeks was still having doubts about himself over what he had done to save Miss Blye. Hetty wondered if he had told her any of that yet.

She had her suspicions that they had found their way back to each other and continued their relationship, but she had no evidence of it. If they were seeing each other, they were keeping it well away from the office and completely away from her. Whenever she watched them, they were acting completely impersonal toward each other and keeping their interactions strictly professional. Mr. Deeks wasn't the same man he had been before he went to Afghanistan. He was much more serious and had toned down the quips and jokes he used to help keep the atmosphere light and the tension at bay in the bullpen during a case. She could only blame herself for the change in his behavior. It was one of her greatest regrets because it felt like he had lost his spark, the air of innocence and his zest for life when she had separated him from his partner. The ramifications were still ongoing. Oh, the team was tighter than ever, but they had pulled together forming a tight knit group while beginning to keep others at bay including her.

She almost never saw Mr. Deeks teasing Miss Blye any more either. If he did, he must be doing it away from the office or when she was not around. She knew it was his way of making it very clear to her that he didn't trust her anymore, at least where his heart was concerned. It saddened her because she knew neither of them trusted her any more when it came to their relationship. _"I waited too long to give them those sat phones. I should have done so immediately and let them both know I trusted them to make their relationship work both professionally and personally. After all, I did give Mr. Deeks that note. I encouraged both of them in the pursuit of a personal relationship. And then when they crossed that line and came together, it must seem as if I punished them for doing so. I really misjudged them and the situation badly. I could and should have handled it much better than I did. I hope one day they can forgive me and come to trust me again. I won't make the same mistake with Mr. Callen and Miss Jones."_

The after-effects of Kensi's re-assignment to Afghanistan were still ongoing it seemed. She sighed as she completed her work for the evening and left well after everyone else was already gone.

~,~,~


	5. Chapter 5:Furniture

Furniture? Callen's getting furniture?! What is the world coming to?

I only own my own characters which include Stefan and Mark in this story.

Anything in italics within single quotes is a quote from my one-shot "Can't Stay Away". Anything in italics and double quotes is thoughts.

Nope…no matter how hard I wish, NCIS LA nor any of the characters on the show are mine. And sadly, they never will be.

Reviews are always welcome. My minions are pouting in the corner of their hideaway...and muttering about not being appreciated. Of course that's after they chewed my toes all night because they don't think anyone is enjoying this story. I keep trying to tell them that it's getting a lot of views (over 800, thanks!), but they only go by the reviews. My toes are sore! If you are enjoying this story, drop me a line and tell me why and save my poor little toes from getting chewed again.

Enjoy.

~,~,~

CHAPTER 5: Furniture

One weekend about three weeks after they started seeing each other, Callen asked Nell to help him pick out another chair for his living room so she would have somewhere to sit when she visited. She normally sat in his lap, but this way if they were talking or eating takeout, they could put it on his small table and face each other. She was happy to agree and they made plans for it to be a day with shopping, lunch and then dinner together. First came the shopping which Callen wasn't really looking forward to, but he wanted Nell to feel comfortable in his home.

As they approached the furniture store, Nell could tell that Callen was not looking forward to the shopping trip. "G, stop worrying about it" she said putting her hand in his. "Furniture shopping can actually be fun if you let it be. What kind of furniture were you thinking of?"

"Kind? I don't know. Isn't furniture just furniture...something to sit on?"

Nell began laughing at him "Well, yeah, I know it's something to sit on, but there are all kinds of styles and looks, G. What look are you going for?

"Look? Hell if I know." Hearing her laugh always made him smile. "No laughing Nell" he said as he tweaked her nose in jest. "Just because I'm fashion illiterate, you don't get to laugh at me. I don't know what kind of look I want. I don't do furniture. I just want it to be comfortable for you to sit on."

Nell tried to put on a serious look but could tell she failed miserably when Callen looked at her with a small grin on his face and one raised eyebrow like he used around Sam. "Do you trust me G?"

"Of course I trust you Nell. Why wouldn't I?" he smiled and couldn't resist continuing "Are you a enemy spy trying to find out all my secrets?"

Nell snorted "No I'm not a spy...but i do want to find out all your secrets. I already know you're scared of Hetty. What other secrets are you keeping from me, hmmm?"

"Well, I'll never tell. Maybe you're going to have to interrogate me to find out any more. I do trust you to pick out my furniture any day."

"Okay then, I'll pick out a couple of styles and then you pick the one you like best. Think you can do that?" Nell continued teasing him.

"Yes, I can do that, little spider. I am a highly skilled federal agent, you know." Callen quipped.

Nell giggled "I didn't know that about you G. Really? A federal agent huh? Do you carry a gun and everything?" Nell pretended to swoon and leaned into Callen.

Callen grabbed her around the waist and pulled her into his side growling "Yes, little spider and I may have to arrest you for being a temptress. I just can't keep my hands off you. It's a good thing we're in public right now or else I wouldn't be responsible for my actions."

"Promises, promises, G."

~,~,~

They entered the furniture store and began looking around. It was just their luck that the store was having a huge sale on floor samples that weekend. Nell found two chairs in two different styles upholstered in the same fabric that would look really good in Callen's living room along with a sofa in a contrasting fabric and a couple of end tables. Since they were on sale, they weren't much more expensive than a single chair would have been. "G, what do you think about this setting? I think it would look really good in your living room. It looks sturdy and somewhat masculine. I know it's more furniture than you were planning to buy, but the price is fantastic. It would complete your living room. And as an added bonus, it would surprise the hell out of Sam the next time he's over as well."

"I hadn't thought about getting more than a single chair to be honest. I like all of it though. Are the chairs comfortable? That's what I want. Something that's comfortable and sturdy as well."

They continued discussing the furniture, which was mission style and very solid-looking, pointing out the features they liked about it. They hadn't yet made a decision when a salesman approached and asked if he could help. Callen began asking him all kinds of questions about how the furniture was built while Nell tried out each piece for comfort. The couch was a little big for her but very nice to lay on. The chairs were made to fit either her or Callen and one had a foot rest as well. As she tried out each piece, she began thinking of different ways she and G could put the furniture to good use. Her thoughts resulted in a feeling of heat that spread from her neck upwards and realized a slight flush was overtaking her face. She hoped Callen didn't notice.

Callen glanced her way and motioned for her to join him. "What do you think Nell?"

"They're very comfortable for me, but you should try them as well. Do you like them, G?"

"Yes I do" Callen replied as he sat in each of the chairs and then moved to the couch. Everything was comfortable to him as well. "I think we just bought our first furniture together."

He asked the salesman about delivery options and again was in luck. He was able to make arrangements with the salesman to have the furniture delivered that very afternoon, paid the bill which was a reasonable total for the amount of furniture they were getting and then took Nell's hand in his as they exited the store.

"We've got a couple of hours before we have to be back at the house to receive the furniture. Where would you like to eat?"

"Why don't we grab something from your favorite food truck and eat it on the beach, G. It's a beautiful day and the beach looks very inviting." Nell replied.

"I like the way you think Nell."

They grabbed their lunch and proceeded to the beach where they sat in the sand on a blanket Callen kept in his car and ate their lunch while enjoying the beach and talking. When they finished eating, they took a short stroll down the beach then noticed it was time to head back to Callen's for the delivery. When they reached his house, he asked "What are we going to do with the chair I already have, Nell? And what about the small table beside it?"

"I've been thinking about that. You could put them in your bedroom. You have plenty of room in there and that way, if you can't sleep, you'll be able to read in the bedroom if you want to instead of in the living room. The chair will look great in your bedroom."

"You think of everything, don't you Nell." he replied giving her a quick kiss as they walked up to his front door.

"Well, someone has to Mr. Secret Agent Man. I'll be your fashion consultant any time you want me to" she smirked while giving him a pat on his butt as he opened the door.

"Wicked woman" he groused. Once in the living room, he looked at the chair and table and agreed with Nell that they would look good in his room. He grabbed the chair and began moving it down the hall toward his bedroom. The table was small enough that Nell was able to pick it up and carry it after him. Together they arranged the items in his room agreeing that they looked good where they put them. Callen was pleased with Nell's ideas and told her so with another quick kiss. Before things could get out of hand, they heard the doorbell ring.

"That's probably the furniture. We'll continue this at another time Nell."

~,~,~

Callen slipped the movers $20 each for their efforts in arranging his new furniture and then closed the front door. He moved into the living room where Nell was sitting in one of his new chairs and stood there watching her. _"My God, just look at me. I'm a home owner since Hetty practically forced me to sign the papers and now this. I think I'm actually putting down roots. There's real furniture in my house. Sam will be amazed and it's all because of Nell. How did I ever get so lucky to find her let alone have the courage to tell her how I feel. I didn't think I'd ever find anyone and she's been here all along working right beside me. And the absolute wonder of it is that she feels the same way about me as I do about her. Who would have 'thunk it' as the saying goes?" _He stood there for the longest time watching Nell relax in his furniture. It gave him a wonderful sense of belonging that he had rarely felt before.

Nell looked up feeling his gaze upon her. "Well, what do you think G? Do you like your new furniture now that it's here?" She was a little concerned at the look she saw on his face because she couldn't tell what it meant for once.

"Yes, I do. I like you in it even more. You look like you belong here…with me…how did I get so lucky?" he looked at her with such love in his eyes that she could feel tears threatening.

"We both got lucky, G. I'm glad you asked me out that night. It was the beginning of something wonderful that I never thought I would have. Maybe it was fate." Nell stood up and went to Callen wrapping her arms around his waist and hugging him tightly. "We have something really special here G. At least I think so. But where are we going from here?"

"We do have the start of something wonderful and I don't know where we're going at this moment, but I want to see where this leads us. What about you?"

"Me too, G. Me too."

They ordered take-out for dinner and were able to eat it in the living room sitting in his new chairs and using one of the new end tables for the food. After dinner, Callen set up the chess set between them and found out that Nell was a great chess player. They were equal in their skill level and took turns winning the games.

~,~,~


	6. Chapter 6: A New Case

The team gets a new case when a Navy Commander is targeted. What will they find when they start investigating?

I only own my own characters which include Stefan and Mark in this story.

Anything in italics within single quotes is a quote from my one-shot "Can't Stay Away". Anything in italics and double quotes is thoughts.

Nope…no matter how hard I wish, NCIS LA nor any of the characters on the show are mine. And sadly, they never will be.

Reviews are always welcome. Thanks so much to **bjq, blue dogs rock, Caro0909, Acquamarin28626, JC419, jimi18 and BlackBear53** for your reviews. Thanks also go out to my two guest reviewers. I really appreciate you taking the time to review.

My minions are still pouting. There is grumbling going on in their hiding place. It sounds like they are planning on taking over the world to make everyone read NCIS LA fanfic. Something about they'd get more reviews that way. I keep telling them to be patient, but being patient isn't one of their strong suits. If you are enjoying this story, especially this chapter, leave a review and tell me why.

Enjoy.

~,~,~

CHAPTER 6: A New Case

He was ready for the next step in his plan. Mark had contacted him and gave him the name of the selected target. He arranged to meet Mark and give him the small bomb to place in his target's car. Mark had a list of the target's schedule for the next three weeks. They looked over it together and decided that the classified briefing the target attended every month was the perfect time to put the next step into action. He assigned two of his men to set up on a ridge overlooking the road the car would travel on so that they could trigger the bomb remotely at exactly the right time. One of the two men had trained as a sniper and would target Sam Hanna when NCIS arrived on scene and was looking over the accident site. He knew that NCIS would come and investigate the accident because of who the target was. From his research, he was reasonably sure the NCIS agents who would be assigned to investigate would be Callen and his team. If it so happened that the two younger members of the team went sent to the accident site, he could still kill one of them and make Callen suffer. After all, he was going to kill his whole team before he killed Callen.

His wanted to have Sam shot and killed by his sniper as the first victim to make Callen suffer the loss of his partner like he had suffered the loss of his family. By killing Sam first, he hoped the NCIS team would not connect his family to the event and he could go forward with the next step in his plan but even if one of the others was killed first, it would serve his purposes. Killing Sam was just the first step in his plans to make Callen suffer the loss of everyone close to him. He wanted to destroy Callen and make him suffer for a very long time before killing him.

~,~,~

Large and small cases came the teams' way and were either solved quickly or over the course of several days or weeks, depending on how complicated they were. Eric and Nell backed the team up as usual providing their normal high level of support. No one got hurt and everything was humming along…well, as well as could be expected with the types of cases they caught that is. About four months after Nell and Callen began seeing each other outside of work, the team experienced several days without a new case arriving. The team had been finishing some long overdue paperwork which made for very long days.

By the beginning of the third day of paperwork, all four of them were complaining in one way or another. Sam and Callen were arguing about Callen's dietary choices with Sam going all mother hen on Callen about living longer if he ate better. Callen was getting back at him by trying to tempt him with greasy hamburgers and bacon sandwiches. Kensi was going on about her techno music or complaining about Marty. Marty was being his usual smart-ass self, coming up with quips and shooting rubber bands at anyone who looked like a good target. In fact, he had nailed Eric the day before with a very nice shot from his desk to where Eric was standing at the top of the stairs. Hetty was beginning to think she would have to read them the riot act to get them to act their ages.

Lunch had just been finished, and the team was dreading the prospect of another long afternoon of more paperwork. Deeks groaned, ran his hands through his hair and rubbed his jaws. He grumbled "Someone, just put me out of my misery now."

Kensi replied "I'm with you partner. I can't feel my hands anymore, I've been typing so many reports and forms."

Sam and Callen were looking at each other in sympathy when Eric appeared at the top of the stairs and whistled "We have a case."

"It's about time" Callen muttered as he headed upstairs. Sam had a relieved look on his face as he followed Callen. Kensi and Deeks looked at each other and grinned as they walked toward the stairs shoulder to shoulder. All four of them proceeded up to OPS to hear about the new case. Sam and Callen took their place standing toward the front of the plasma while Deeks and Kensi stood behind the data table shoulder to shoulder as usual. Hetty was already there.

Hetty turned to Eric and stated "Mr Beale, begin."

Pulling up images from traffic cams on the I10 using his iPad, he began. "What you're seeing is an accident that occurred about 40 minutes ago. Turns out the cause of the accident was a small incendiary device placed in the wheel well of the car, causing the front tire to blow and the driver to lose control. As you can see, the car became airborne and then rolled multiple times before coming to rest upside down. The driver and the passenger both died on impact."

"And that concerns us how?" Callen asked.

"The passenger was Commander Jeff Connelly," Eric informed them. "He was EO on the USS Dubuque. The ship's home port is San Diego. Commander Connelly was on his way to a monthly classified briefing at the time of the accident. We don't know how or when the car was rigged and we don't know what the classified briefing was about yet."

Nell took over seamlessly from Eric "We're looking into the background of both Commander Connelly and his driver. So far, we've found nothing out of the ordinary but we're still looking. The car was assigned to him from the motor pool on the base so we're also looking into who had access to it there."

Callen took over. "Okay. Deeks, Kensi see what you can find out on base. I want a list of everyone who might have a grudge against the commander; any enemies or anyone who could have rigged the car. Also see what you can find out about who the Commander had contact with and what the briefing was about. Sam and I will go to the crime scene to see what we can find. We'll meet back here later and go over what everyone's found so far. Nell, you and Eric keep digging. Look at financials, phone records, the works for both the Commander and his driver. If any other names come up, check them as well. Locate any traffic cams in the areas around the base and check them to see if anything suspicious shows up."

"That sounds like a plan Mr. Callen. Keep us informed and be careful. We don't know what this case is really about yet" Hetty commented.

The two teams left the OPS center to go their separate ways hoping to solve the case quickly and easily.

~,~,~

Sam and Callen began bantering with each other as they headed out of the mission for Sam's car. As Sam was driving to the crash site, he noticed that Callen was deep in thought. Sam glanced over at him every so often but Callen didn't notice anything. Finally Sam had enough of Callen's brooding and decided to ask. "What's going on? Out with it G, what has you so deep in thought?"

Callen wasn't sure how to respond to Sam's question. "Just thinking about this case, Sam." He hoped Sam would accept his explanation.

"That's not it, G. Something's going on with you. You've been different for the past several months."

"What do you mean different, Sam? I'm the same old me."

"Yeah, right. Don't mess with me G. You haven't been coming to the house as much lately. Could it have something to do with a certain redheaded analyst?"

"_Oh shit"_ Callen thought. _"He can't know about Nell and I, can he? I don't think we've done anything to make him suspect us. Naw, he's just fishing for information. Play it cool G."_ Callen looked over at Sam and replied in what he hoped was a normal tone of voice for him. "Come on Sam, what makes you say that? You trying to play matchmaker again? You know I don't like it when you try to match me up with someone on a blind date." G didn't want to talk about Nell and tried to deflect Sam.

"No. I'm not trying to play matchmaker." Sam said with disgust. "Come off it, G. I know you. I can read you like a book. You've been watching Nell like a hawk for weeks now and suddenly you're busy on most weekends. You haven't been to the house in ages and the last time I was at your house I find there's furniture in the living room. Furniture, G! And this is from the guy who says all he needs is his bedroll and a change of clothes. You've lived in that house for months now without showing the least interest in buying a single piece of furniture, but suddenly you feel the need to decorate? Not that I mind it, since you're happier than I've seen you in a long time. But I know something is going on so you might as well admit it."

"Fine! Fine, Sam. I'm seeing Nell. Satisfied now?" Callen gave Sam a dirty look before turning and looking out the window again.

"Why keep it from me then? We're partners aren't we?" Sam had a pretty good idea why Callen hadn't said anything to him, but it bothered him never-the-less. He was used to Callen confiding in him; well at least as much as he confided in anyone.

"I…We don't want anyone to know yet. We've gone out to dinner a few times, but we're taking it slow because neither of us wants to rush into something that might be all wrong for us." Callen grumped. He should have known he couldn't keep it from Sam much longer. Sam was like his protective older brother or...come to think of it, like a mother hen. He didn't dare say that to Sam right then though so kept his mouth shut. Thoughts of screwing up and hurting Nell began invading his mind again. _"What if I mess this up? I'm not the world's most well adjusted man that's for sure. So many things could go wrong and now that Sam knows, he'd really be pissed if I hurt her. I don't want to do anything to hurt her, but what if I end up hurting her anyway? Damn, this is why I don't get involved. But it's too late now. Besides, I can't stop thinking about her...I want her. Suddenly I want all of it, a lover, a family, some place that really feels like home. With Nell, my house isn't just house any more, it's a home when she's there with me."_

Sam waited for Callen to say something else but could tell he was lost in his own thoughts. He decided to let him be for now. When they arrived at the crash site, Sam got Callen's attention and they introduced themselves to the police "Hi, we're federal agents. I'm Callen and this is Sam Hanna. What have you got for us?"

They received a briefing on what had been determined by that point in time. They then proceeded to sift through the debris looking for anything that might have been overlooked or missed. The police had done a thorough job so nothing stood out to them.

"Send everything you find to NCIS. We'll keep you informed of our analysis of the evidence." Callen told the officer on duty.

"Sure thing. Do you guys know anything useful about this yet?" came from the cop they were talking to in reply.

"Nothing so far, we just got the case a couple of hours ago. This is our first stop. We wanted to see the crash site and talk to you. All we have are the identities of the victims. Both of them were Navy which is why we're involved" Sam informed the officer.

After completing their detailed inspection of the site but not finding anything new, they said goodbye to the cops. Sam and Callen returned to Sam's car to begin the trip back to OSP. Callen passed in front of Sam as he was reaching for the door. A shot rang out causing Callen to slump against the side of the car while Sam took refuge behind the front end of the car. Looking toward the sound of the shot, Sam questioned "Damn, where did that come from G?" When he didn't get an immediate reply, he yelled "G, are you okay…answer me!" Looking over toward where G had been standing, Sam could see an ashen faced Callen with blood dripping down onto the pavement.

~,~,~

Dun, duh dun!...evil cliffhanger, I know.


	7. Chapter 7: First Attempt

Oh goodness. Oh my. Callen's hurt. How bad is it and what affect will his injury have on his relationship with Nell?

I only own my own characters which include Stefan and Mark in this story.

Anything in italics within single quotes is a quote from my one-shot "Can't Stay Away". Anything in italics and double quotes is thoughts.

Nope…no matter how hard I wish, NCIS LA nor any of the characters on the show are mine. And sadly, they never will be.

Reviews are always welcome. They inspire me to keep writing for you. If you want me to keep updating twice a week, throw my minions a bone and leave a review. They're threatening to take away my computer privileges because they say I'n not pleasing my readers. If you are enjoying this story, drop me a line and tell me why.

Enjoy.

~,~,~

CHAPTER 7: First Attempt

"G, hey G, talk to me man, are you okay?" Sam looked over again and could see that the blood was continuing to drip down onto the pavement. That and G's continued silence brought Sam's mother hen feelings out with a vengeance and made the memories of when G had been shot five times rush back into his mind. "Come on G, say something. Don't mess with me. Answer me and Let me know you're okay."

It seemed like an eternity before Callen answered Sam. "I'm...I'm okay Sam, the bullet hit my upper arm. I'm pretty sure it's a flesh wound, nothing to worry about. It's a good thing you moved back when I passed in front of you and a good thing I turned when I did…otherwise…well...it would have hit me center mass." Callen hissed. Sam could hear him breathing heavily as he tried to control the pain he was feeling. Callen was obviously in a lot of pain and just like always, he would never admit it. Sam knew he was downplaying what had happened.

"You're bleeding like a stuck pig G so don't tell me it's just a flesh wound. The hell it is! And I wouldn't believe you if you tried. I know you too well man." Callen never wanted to admit his vulnerability even if he was half dead. It was just the way he was and every time it happened, it pissed Sam off...every single time.

"Just stay where you are G until we're sure the shooter is gone. Then you're going to get checked out." Sam heard Callen start to say something and continued "And don't you dare say you're okay. You've been shot and if I have to, I'll get Hetty to order you to get checked out."

"Okay, geez Mom; you're being a little over-protective, don't you think?" Callen leaned his head back against the car while holding onto his arm to try to control the bleeding. He wasn't having a lot of success because the blood continued to drip down his arm and onto the pavement.

"Hell, no! You're a disaster magnet." Sam grumbled in reply.

"Isn't that supposed to be Deeks?"

"Shut up G. You're both disaster magnets. You're almost as bad as he is."

While Sam and G were talking, the police radioed for additional help to try to find the shooter. "It sounded like it came from the hill to the south" Sam called over toward the police.

"We've got a squad on the way there now. Just stay put for a little while" one of the officers yelled to Sam.

"Staying put. We're going to need an ambulance, my partner has been hit."

"One's already on the way" came back.

"Sam, I'm fine, I don't need an ambulance. I keep telling you it's just a flesh wound" Callen groused. _"Oh God, Nell heard everything from OPS. Shit! Can this day get any worse? I should have stayed in bed this morning. Nell must be going out of her mind with worry and it's all my fault. I hope she's keeps it together in OPS. I don't want Hetty to find out about us just yet. I don't want her interfering in this like she did with Deeks and Kensi. It's none of her business anyway."_

"Shut up G. You're going to the hospital" Sam growled. Callen could tell he was still pissed.

_"What did I just say to him?"_ Sam didn't know whether to punch Callen or his Challenger. "_Did I not just tell him he was getting checked out? And he's still trying to get out of going to the hospital to have his arm looked at. It is so typical for him to downplay any injuries and it's really pissing me off! Doesn't he realize he is not indestructible! He should know that by now."_ Hearing the pain in Callen's voice from the bullet wound brought back additional memories of when he had been ambushed in the drive-by and almost died.

Sam couldn't get the image of Callen's blood dripping down to the pavement out of his mind and he wanted so badly to punch something at that very moment. His anger was white hot at the person or persons who had shot Callen and the memories assaulting his mind weren't helping at all._ "He watched the bullets impact Callen's body while he stood there momentarily frozen. He would never forget what it felt like to see Callen's body jerking as the five bullets hit him before he collapsed to the pavement. He hadn't thought anyone could have survived the onslaught of that many bullets hitting their body, but Callen did. He remembered holding him in his arms and yelling for an ambulance. Callen's eyes were open, but glassy and all he could do was repeat the mantra to Callen to 'stay with me man, stay with me'. Callen had felt like a broken doll when Sam had taken him into his arms yelling for him to hold on. When Callen closed his eyes, Sam thought he would never open them again. He had prayed as hard as he could for Callen to be all right. He never wanted to feel so helpless again."_

Before he could tell Callen not to start arguing with him again, he and Callen both heard Hetty over coms. "Mr Callen, I will see you at the hospital. That is an order. You won't be cleared for duty until you are seen by a doctor and I get his report. Is that understood?"

"Yes Hetty" was all Callen could reply. He really didn't want to get on her bad side. An all-clear was heard a few minutes later and Sam rushed over to begin wrapping Callen's arm while waiting for the ambulance. "Sam, I'm fine, leave it alone" Callen hissed.

"Just shut up G, you're bleeding all over the road. You're not fine." Sam was now yelling and when he looked at Callen, Callen could see the anger, pain and yes...deep worry, in his eyes, so he decided to stay quiet and give him a break.

~,~,~

The ambulance arrived a few minutes later. The paramedics took one look at Callen's pale face and the amount of blood he had lost, then pointed at the gurney and made him sit. Before he could even begin to say he was good to climb up into the ambulance by himself, Sam gave him a look threatening murder if he didn't shut up and follow orders. Besides, if he was being completely honest with himself, he was feeling like shit. He was light-headed and his legs were trembling. He decided giving in gracefully to what Sam wanted was the best solution at that point he just lay back on the gurney like ordered and let the attendants do their job. They checked him out thoroughly and were concerned once his blood pressure was taken and found to be quite low. "He definitely needs to be seen by a doctor." one paramedic said looking over at Sam.

"Where are you taking him?" Sam asked.

"UC Medical Center" the attendant said.

"I'll follow you there." Turning away he notified the team back in OSP where Callen was going. He then got in his car and followed the ambulance.

~,~,~

The sniper on the ridge line couldn't believe his shot had missed its intended target. He had his rifle aimed center mass on Sam but at the exact moment he pulled the trigger, Callen moved in front of Sam to get to the car door, which prevented the shot from reaching its intended target.

The two men looked at either other in horror. Both knew their boss would be extremely angry that the plan hadn't worked out. The sniper of the pair couldn't believe he had missed his shot. He never missed! He turned to the man with him and began swearing in Romanian. "Ce dracu ! Acest job este blestemat , eu vă spun, blestemat ! Am avut împușcat . Niciodată nu mi-e dor și -a vizat masă perfect centru pe Sam Hanna . Nu pot să cred ce noroc am . De ce a muta G. Callen în fața lui la fel cum am apăsat pe trăgaci ? Stefan va fi atât de supărat . Nu Aștept cu nerăbdare să -l am ratat Hanna spune și răniți Callen . Știu că nu l-am ucis . Glonțul a lovit brațul lui . La naiba sunt eu probleme ."

Neither of them were looking forward to reporting back to Stefan, but they had to get away before the police sent men to search the area. They cleaned up their brass, making sure they left nothing behind and hightailed it away from the accident scene.

~,~,~

AN: Translation of the Romanian: "What the fuck! This job is cursed, I tell you, cursed! I had the shot. I never miss and it was aimed perfectly center mass on Sam Hanna. I can't believe my luck. Why did G. Callen move in front of him just as I pulled the trigger? Stefan is going to be so angry. I'm not looking forward to telling him I missed Hanna and wounded Callen. I know I didn't kill him. The bullet hit his arm. Damn am I in trouble."


	8. Chapter 8: Nell's Reaction

See, I didn't kill Callen...as if! He'll be fit as a fiddle in no time. But what about his relationship with Nell. Will his injury ruin what they've just begun exploring or will it make it stronger?

I only own my own characters which include Stefan and Mark in this story.

Anything in italics within single quotes is a quote from my one-shot "Can't Stay Away". Anything in italics and double quotes is thoughts.

Nope…no matter how hard I wish, NCIS LA nor any of the characters on the show are mine. And sadly, they never will be.

Reviews are always welcome. If you are enjoying this story, or even if you're not, drop me a line and tell me why. My minions are weeping in the corner because they couldn't get my laptop away from me. They were trying to hold it hostage until we received more reviews, but I told them it wouldn't be fair to my readers.

Enjoy.

~,~,~

CHAPTER 8: Nell's Reaction

Back in OPS, Nell heard everything that happened over coms as usual because she and Eric were the team's eyes and ears whenever they were on a case. She, Eric, along with Hetty were together in the room and Nell was barely holding it together. _"Hold it together Jones."_ she chided herself mentally._ "I can't let Hetty see how upset I am about G. I can't fall apart or she'll know for sure we've been seeing each other and I'll have to leave NCIS. I don't want to leave and I can't lose G now. Please God let him be okay."_ She was as efficient as ever in doing her job and providing needed intelligence to all the agents she was responsible for, but inside she felt like she was falling apart. Her heart was pounding and she could feel tears threatening to overflow and run down her cheeks. She was holding them back with everything she had in her. She didn't want anyone to see her crying, especially Hetty.

She always worried the most about her team; that's how she felt about Callen, Sam, Kensi and Deeks. They were her 'team' and she always worried when they were out in the field, but this was the first time something bad had happened to any of them since she and Callen had gotten together. What made it ten times worse was it was Callen who was hurt and she couldn't be there with him. She had to remain in OPS to back up Kensi and Deeks instead of doing what she so very much wanted to do, which was get to Callen as soon as possible to see with her own eyes that he was going to be okay.

When she heard the shot on coms and then Sam yelling, she had been terrified that Callen had been killed. If she hadn't heard his voice answering Sam, she thought her heart would have shattered into a million small slivers. She was so relieved to hear him all she really wanted to do at that moment was have a good cry, find Callen and rip him a new one for scaring her so much and then hug him fiercely; however, she still had a job to do and agents in the field to support.

Nell was finding it extremely difficult to maintain her objectivity when it came to Callen. Since they had begun their relationship, she had developed a much higher level of respect for Deeks. He somehow made it seem easy to lay it all on the line to protect Kensi with everything he had in him. He seemed to have no fear and no regard for his own safety when it came to her. _"I know he would gladly lay down his life for Kensi without a second thought. I always knew he loved her, but now I see that it's so much more than love. The way he looks at her and the way he protects her tells me he feels she's his soul mate. I don't think he would want to survive if anything happened to her. I don't know how I'll go on if Callen ever gets killed on assignment."_

Now that Callen had been shot, she thought about Deeks again and how he was able to keep it together while covering his partner's back when she knew he was madly in love with her. She and Deeks had gotten closer while they had been paired together when Kensi was in Afghanistan and had told each other a few things about themselves; things that no one else knew.

She had even told him how she felt about Callen. He encouraged her to do something about her feelings and not live with regrets because she was too afraid to say anything. He had talked about Kensi, a lot; and she now knew just how deep his love for her went, even though he hadn't come right out and said it in so many words. She also knew how much he worried about Kensi and what might happen to her in Afghanistan. He confessed to her how angry he had been when Hetty sent Kensi off without even letting them have a chance to say goodbye. He told her how he had gone to Hetty and asked he if it was his fault that Kensi had been reassigned. He went on to tell her not let anyone at work know how she felt about Callen especially if they became involved, because he didn't want to see them parted from each other like Hetty had parted him and Kensi.

When Hetty had reassigned Kensi, it had broken something between Deeks and Hetty. Nell knew he no longer trusted Hetty with his heart and it saddened her because she knew he had looked at Hetty as somewhat of a mother figure. She had always thought that Hetty felt the same way about him, but then to let him think it was his fault that Kensi was sent away was cold, even for Hetty. It was why she was so careful at work to not show how much she cared for Callen.

"_I remember how he was when she was in Afghanistan. He quit laughing as much and was much more serious. It was like he had lost that uniqueness that made him Deeks. I don't know how he held it together without tearing into Hetty for separating them. I don't think he's ever gotten over it. And he thought that Hetty sent Kensi away to punish him. I never thought that was it, but what if I was wrong? What if that's really how Hetty operates? And now…now I feel the same way about G. If Hetty tries to separate us, she'll have the fight of her life on her hands!_

Nell knew that she had to suck up her feelings and do her job to protect Callen and the entire team. She continued helping Eric check traffic cams trying to find out exactly where the shot had come from and identify the shooter. It was a long shot but it was all they had at present and she was determined to do everything in her power to find out who had hurt Callen.

~,~,~

Meanwhile Kensi and Deeks had arrived at the Naval base and been escorted to the ship. There they talked to the Commander's superior officer about what his duties were and who he had been in contact with recently. They found out the Commander hadn't met anyone out of the ordinary in the previous few weeks. His commanding officer had nothing but praise for him. He told them he did his job diligently and was a role model for the younger sailors on the ship. He regularly attended the monthly classified briefing. Kensi and Deeks split up to talk to as many of the sailors who knew the Commander as possible. Everyone they talked to had nothing but good things to say about him. Everyone seemed to like the Commander.

When they checked out the car and driver assigned to him that morning, they were told it was picked at random from the motor pool and then thoroughly checked out which was standard operating procedure whenever a car was assigned. There was nothing wrong with the car when it was checked out, everything was fine; there were no incendiary devices found anywhere on or in it. According to witnesses, the driver had left the base about 6 am to go to the Commander's home to pick him up.

They were still at the base talking to the Commander's friends and subordinates trying to find any leads to the car bombing but were coming up empty when Callen was shot. As soon as Kensi and Deeks heard the shooting over coms, they began trying to find a connection between the commander and Callen that might account for Callen's attempted murder. They again came up empty. There was no connection between the two they could find. They decided to call it a day and return to the Mission hoping they would get home before midnight for once.

Marty turned to Kensi as they began walking back to their car to return to OSP and quietly murmured "It had to be an inside job. There's no other way the device could have been put in the Commander's car. But what I can't figure out is why? Why him? What was hoped to be gained by killing him? There's got to be something else going on here. We're missing something."

"You're right. We're going to have to have Eric and Nell check out everyone who was around the car." Kensi tapped her earwig and continued "Nell, Eric, check out the list of people I'm going to be sending you. Deeks and I think it was someone on the inside who rigged the car. I really don't think it is any of the people on the list I'm about to send you, but we have to start somewhere." She then sent them the list of names they had come up with.

Nell and Eric weren't having any luck finding anything either. All the financials and background information they could dig up on the driver or the commander was clean. There was nothing suspicious at all. It didn't make any sense. They set up a search to find out as much as they could about the list of people Kensi had given them.

~,~,~


	9. Chapter 9: The Hospital

So, will Callen get to go home soon? Will Nell come see him either in the hospital or at home? Will he behave himself in the hospital or will Hetty have to get out her letter opener?

I only own my own characters which include Stefan and Mark in this story.

Anything in italics within single quotes is a quote from my one-shot "Can't Stay Away". Anything in italics and double quotes is thoughts.

Nope…no matter how hard I wish, NCIS LA nor any of the characters on the show are mine. And sadly, they never will be.

Reviews are always welcome. They are what inspire me to put all of the hard work into my stories. Without them, I can't tell whether I'm hitting a chord with my readers or not. I've only received a few so far. If you are enjoying this story, especially this chapter, drop me a line and tell me why. Even if you're not enjoying it, let me know. My minions and I will really appreciate it!

Enjoy.

~,~,~

CHAPTER 9: The Hospital

The ambulance pulled into U.C. Medical Center, parked and then moved Callen into the Emergency room. He was immediately moved into a trauma room where he lay on the gurney in a foul mood. He hated hospitals and didn't think he needed to be there and didn't want to be there either. He would never admit it to anyone, including himself, but hospitals scared him. They made him confront his mortality. He felt vulnerable in a hospital and no matter how many times Sam would try to reassure him, he always flashed back to the drive-by shooting and the consequences he suffered because of it.

_"It was only a flesh wound after all and I could have taken care of it myself! Why did I let myself be bullied into coming to the hospital? Sam can sometimes be too much like a mother with one chick to protect and unfortunately, I'm the chick." _He lay there with all those rebellious thoughts in his brain, but he was more scared of what Hetty would do to him if he left against medical advice than he would like to admit, so kept his feelings to himself. Besides, he didn't want anything or anyone to prevent him from getting to Nell as soon as possible. The thought of her frantic with worry about him had his stomach in knots and him contemplating making a break for it as soon as possible. The only thing that stopped him was the doctor arriving.

The doctor came in, introduced himself and began examining his arm and checking his vitals. Once he was done, he informed Callen he was going to give him a blood transfusion to replace the blood he had lost.

"Can I go home afterward, doctor? I feel fine. It's jus a flesh wound." Callen was hoping the doctor would let him go before Hetty got there. He wasn't looking forward to seeing her. He knew he wouldn't be able to bluff his way out of the hospital if she was watching him.

The doctor reluctantly agreed to let him leave once the transfusion was complete if all of his other vitals looked good. If not, he would be admitted overnight for observation. Callen was keeping his fingers crossed that it was the former and not the latter. He was becoming more anxious as time went on about Nell's reaction to everything that had happened to him today. _"What if she can't handle this and wants to end our relationship? Am I being fair to her by having her in my life with the danger I'm in every day? I don't want to lose her, but I don't want her to constantly worry about whether I'm coming back in one piece or not. Shit!...I don't know what to do!" _This was the first time he had been hurt since they started seeing each other and he didn't know what her reaction would be. Not knowing what to do was a new feeling for him and he didn't like it_. _

Hetty arrived before he found out whether or not he would be released. If she was surprised to see him laying there quietly letting the transfusion do its job, she didn't let on. She could tell he was itching to get out of the hospital and thought she might have to threaten him with her letter opener to get him to stay if the doctor wanted to keep him overnight. "I see you needed a blood transfusion. How are you feeling now Mr. Callen?"

"I'm fine Hetty, it's really just a minor wound. I'm good to go." Callen looked at her hopefully.

"Let's let the doctor decide that shall we, Mr. Callen?" she gave him a smirk as she saw him sigh but try to control himself. He was on his best behavior and it made her somewhat curious. She wondered if it had anything to do with a certain analyst on her staff, but she wasn't about to let him know just how much she was aware of. There would be time for that later if necessary. "Is there something you want to tell me while you're waiting for the doctor?"

"No, why would there be?" Callen replied.

"About the case. What did you find out about the case, Mr. Callen?"

"Oh" Callen stammered. "We didn't find anything suspicious other than the obvious. The police are going to send us everything they found so that we can analyze it. Hopefully something will give us a lead." Callen was sure he had made her suspicious. _"Damn, what information is she fishing for? Does she know about Nell and is trying to get me to accidentally say something to let her know she's right? She can't, can she? We've been really careful at work not to get caught. She can't know anything, can she? But…then again, this is Hetty we're talking about. She knows everything."_ He surfaced from his thoughts and continued "I just want to get out of here…that is if the doctor okays it" he hurried to add as he saw the doctor approaching his room.

"Everything looks good Hetty. I think we can let Mr. Callen leave, but I do want him to take it easy for a couple of days. He lost enough blood to warrant a blood transfusion after all." The doctor continued, "The nurse will be in with the discharge papers in a few minutes."

"Thanks doc" Callen was relieved he was getting to leave. As soon as the discharge papers were signed he plopped into the wheelchair. He wasn't going to argue about anything as long as he could get out of the hospital and back to OSP where he could see Nell and reassure her. He wanted to see her as soon as possible. Hetty interrupted his thoughts of Nell by informing him "Mr. Callen, you have the rest of the evening off. I'm sending Sam home with you and there will be a guard on your home until we figure out who wants you dead."

"But Hetty, I'm okay to do paperwork. Even if I can't go into the field, I can help from OSP."

Hetty just stared at him until he gulped and gave in "Home it is." Sam arrived a couple of minutes later with some extra bandages and supplies given him by the nurse and the discharge papers along with medications and instructions for Callen to follow.

"You ready to blow this popsicle stand, G?" he asked.

"Sure am, Sam. Let's get out of here."

~,~,~

Sam drove Callen home and stayed with him until the guard was in place. He then left to go back to the mission after warning Callen not to do anything stupid. "G, so help me God, if you don't stay here and take it easy, I'll whip your ass! Got that?"

"Yes, Mom. Now get out of here; I'm fine." Callen watched Sam's car until it was out of sight, then whipped out his phone and texted Nell _"I'm fine. Hetty wouldn't let me come back to work but sent me home instead. Come over later?"_ He was on pins and needles waiting for her to respond. As the minutes passed he began worrying she had decided they shouldn't see each other. He wanted to see her so much and reassure her that he was fine but he didn't want to push, so he just leaned back in his chair and waited to hear from her.

He dozed off unexpectedly then jerked awake when his phone chimed with an incoming message, almost dropping it in his haste to see what the message said. Once he got himself together and read what Nell had sent, he heaved a huge sigh of relief. _"I'll be there with food in a little while." _While it didn't say much, it said enough. He was going to see her soon. He decided to take a quick shower and clean up since he still had blood on his clothes and body. He didn't want Nell worrying any more than he was sure she already was. Being very careful not to get his bandage wet, he showered, changed, then went back to waiting impatiently for her to arrive.

As he waited, he began thinking over what had happened between them so far. He couldn't believe how much the small woman had come to mean to him in a relatively short period of time. Her face and pixie hair cut was so beautiful and she might be small, but she was all woman with just the right amount of curves in all the right places. He continued thinking about their evolving relationship. _"I am so in love with her…wait! did I just admit to myself that I'm in love with Nell Jones? When did that happen? I never thought I would ever be part of a couple or be in love. I feel like a schoolboy with his first crush on a girl." _ The thoughts ripped through his mind like lightening, but then left behind a warm glow that warmed him from the inside out. Yeah, he was in love with her. He could only hope she felt the same way and that they could make it work between them somehow. He didn't want to think about losing her.

~,~,~


	10. Chapter 10: Nell and Callen at Home

Callen's waiting for Nell. What will happen when she arrives. Will his heart be broken or will what happened strengthen their relationship?

I only own my own characters which include Stefan and Mark in this story.

Anything in italics within single quotes is a quote from my one-shot "Can't Stay Away". Anything in italics and double quotes is thoughts.

Nope…no matter how hard I wish, NCIS LA nor any of the characters on the show are mine. And sadly, they never will be. As Hetty says "Oh bugger!"

Reviews are always welcome. Reviews are the only form of payment I get for my writing. My minions are starting to eye my toes again and they just healed up from the last time they were chewed on! If you are enjoying this story, especially this chapter, drop me a line and tell me why.

Enjoy.

~,~,~

CHAPTER 10: Nell and Callen at Home

Callen was still lost in his thoughts when a knock on the door brought him out of his chair and to his front door in a flash. Opening the door expecting to see Nell, he was surprised to see the guard.

"I have a Nell Jones out here. Is it okay for her to come in?" the guard asked.

"Yes, yes, I invited her over. She works with me." Callen get like an idiot. He couldn't believe he had forgotten to let the guard know Nell was coming over. After all, they were tasked with protecting him and they wouldn't be able to do their job if he didn't keep them informed.

"Okay sir, but next time, please let me know if you are expecting anyone." the guard stepped aside and there was Nell.

"Come in Nell." Callen took her arm gently and pulled her into the house. Turning to the guard he asked "What's your name?"

"I'm Henry sir and I'll be here until midnight when Jake will take over for me and my partner. One of us will be in the car and one of us will be patrolling the grounds all night."

"Thanks Henry. I'm sorry I didn't let you know I was expecting company. I'll be sure to tell you if I'm expecting anyone else. Stay sharp out there and if you need anything, like coffee or water, let me know."

"Will do sir. I know Nell, but it's my job right now to protect you so we're not letting anyone past us without authorization. And thanks for understanding. We don't want anything happening to you."

Closing the door, he pulled Nell to him and kissed her with everything he had in him. It felt so good to have her in his arms again. Finally ending the kiss, he looked deeply into her eyes as he apologized "I'm so sorry you had to hear me get shot. I'm fine, Nell. I texted as soon as I could. I didn't want you to worry about me, but I knew you would." Nell wrapped her arms around Callen and held on tight. He wrapped her up in a hug and stood there holding her close to his chest until he realized her shoulders were shaking. Reaching down, he lifted her face to his and discovered tears on her cheeks. "Shh, it's okay Nell, I'm really fine, it isn't bad; just a flesh wound," he reassured her.

"When I heard Sam yell your name I was so scared G, but I…I knew I had to keep doing my job. All I wanted to do was to get to you and make sure you were alive. It was the hardest thing I've ever had to do" she burrowed her head into his chest and held on for dear life.

"I'm sorry I scared you Nell. It was the last thing I wanted to happen. I'm sorry."

"Quit saying you're sorry G. You were doing your job. I know you didn't mean to worry me."

"I know that Nell, but I am sorry. And I'm so proud of you for keeping it together. You're the bravest person I know."

"I'm not brave G, I'm not really" she whispered.

Callen led her to his chair and pulled her into his lap. He set the food that she was still carrying down on the table and held her in his arms while she calmed down. Every so often he would kiss her forehead and run his hands through her hair while whispering that it was going to be okay. They were fine and together. He was deeply afraid she was going to say she couldn't go through the fear again when he was on a case and didn't want to see him anymore. He hated thinking about that possibility but it kept playing out in his mind. He finally decided he should give her the opportunity to let him know how she felt about continuing their relationship. He looked her in the eyes as he asked the question he was dreading the answer to. "Nell, do you want to stop seeing me?" was voiced with some trepidation.

"What! No…no…I...don't you want to see me anymore?" Nell felt her heart breaking at the thought and started to climb off his lap.

Before she could pull away from him and leave, he wrapped her up tighter in his arms and reassured her. "No, I want to see you all the time. I want to be with you and only you. I thought maybe you would want to stop seeing me because it was so hard for you to hear I was hurt. I don't want to see you scared or worried Nell, especially because of me. I want you so much but what if I'm being selfish? I wanted to give you the option of whether we were going to continue seeing each other."

"You're an idiot, G" she snorted through the tears in her eyes. "Just because I was scared and worried, doesn't mean I'm going to give up the best thing that's ever happened to me" she said taking his face in her small hands and kissing him for all she was worth. She pulled back slightly so she could look into his eyes and continued "You're the best thing in my life and I'm not about to give it up without a fight, mister. But I may kick your ass if you get hurt again...just saying" before she leaned in again for another searing kiss.

This kiss ignited the heat between them and before either of them realized what they were doing, Callen had his hands beneath her shirt and was caressing her small breasts through her bra while Nell was moaning breathlessly and begging for more. He was placing soft, wet kisses behind her ear and down her neck along with little nips which he would then swipe his tongue across to take the slight sting away. Nell could feel him harden beneath her and wanted nothing more than to feel him inside her. She ground herself against him and then began fondling him through his jeans. His resulting groan brought a smile to her lips. Before they both lost control Callen pulled back and managed to stammer "I…I think we need a...a time out…at least I know I do…it's too easy to lose control with you Nell" he tweaked her nose as he grinned at her. "You're a wanton woman…but I love it. Why…" he was beginning to have a lot of trouble getting the words out with Nell in his lap pressing down on his groin. "…why don't we…eat the food you brought us and discuss where we want to go from here, okay?"

Nell agreed reluctantly. When Callen went to get up, she pushed him back into the chair and ordered "Let me do this. You're injured remember?" Going into the kitchen, she retrieved forks along with a couple of beers and brought them back into the living room. Pulling out the takeout, and placing it on the table between the two chairs they took turns eating right out of the cartons. Nell kept glancing at Callen while they ate thankful that he was all right. Every time he noticed her glance, he would smile back at her. When they had eaten all they wanted, she took the leftovers into the kitchen along with the empty beer bottles and forks; putting the food away and washing the forks. Returning to Callen, she climbed into his lap once again. "Okay, mister, time to talk. Where do you see us going from here?"

Callen took his time thinking about what he wanted to say. He didn't want to scare her away and truth be told he wasn't sure how to say what he really wanted to say to her. He had never in his life imagined being in the situation he was in now. He had never thought he would feel this way about another person. In fact, he always thought he would go through life alone without ever forming such a deep connection with another human being. It had never been on his radar, but Nell had somehow burrowed her way into his thoughts and heart without even trying.

She was so very important to him. He remembered what he had been thinking before he took her to dinner the first time. _"I was so amazed at how she put the snide CIA analyst in his place without raising her voice; how she de-magged Inman when he was using her as a human shield and how she held her own against Brown when he tried to kill her. She came away with a small cut on her eyebrow while giving him three serious knife wounds in the fight. Other people might think of her as small but I know she has a warrior's heart and plenty of spunk! She amazes me every day with her intelligence and her spirit."_

He couldn't imagine being without her in his life anymore. He snorted to himself _"I have this reputation as a lone wolf, but the 'great' G Callen has been caught, hook, line and sinker by this slip of a woman without ever realizing what was happening. Some lone wolf I am! Nate would probably say something about me finally getting past my abandonment issues. Maybe he would be right too but I don't care. I know she's what I want. I want to be with her all the time. I can't believe my luck. I don't want to lose her, but can I tell her how I really feel? And what if she doesn't feel the same way? But if I don't tell her, what does that make me? And what if I lose her because I'm too much of a coward to tell her how I really feel about her?"_

"Nell…I…I'm in love with you" he finally blurted out. He hadn't meant to say it but was relieved anyway. "I want a future with you, but I'm no good at relationships. I don't want to hurt you when I screw this up."

~,~,~


	11. Chapter 11: Making Love

Callen is nervous! Who would have thunk it. What is Nell going to say to him?

I only own my own characters which include Stefan and Mark in this story.

Anything in italics within single quotes is a quote from my one-shot "Can't Stay Away". Anything in italics and double quotes is thoughts.

Nope…no matter how hard I wish, NCIS LA nor any of the characters on the show are mine. And sadly, they never will be.

Reviews are always welcome and necessary right now. My minions have an evil glint in their eyes, and they're looking at my toes! If you are enjoying this story, or even if you're not, drop me a line and tell me why.

Enjoy.

~,~,~

CHAPTER 11: Making Love

"Nell…I…I'm in love with you" he finally blurted out. He hadn't meant to say it but was relieved anyway. "I want a future with you, but I'm no good at relationships. I don't want to hurt you when I screw this up."

~,~,~

Nell was dumbfounded at the words coming from Callen. He always came across as an extremely confident man so hearing him say those words blew her away. She had been pretty sure she knew how he felt about her, but she did have some doubts. He was such a private man and alway kept his feelings close to his chest. All of her doubts about his feelings had just been blown to smithereens though and her heart soared. She had been in love with him for quite some time but had never really believed anything would come from it. She had always had trouble believing that he even noticed her, let alone thought of her as someone worthy of his attention and love.

She could see the worry on Callen's face so looked deeply into his eyes "G. Callen, what am I going to do with you? I've told you before, I'm a big girl and I don't believe you're going to screw this up as you so quaintly put it." She cupped his face in her hands and continued "I've loved you for a long time and now I can say it because you said it first. I didn't think this would ever happen but I'm so glad it did."

Finishing her little speech, she kissed his eyes and his nose, then continued placing soft kisses on his face until she reached his lips. She softly kissed him then teased his lips with her tongue to get him to open his mouth to her. The kiss was incendiary and they dueled for dominance with their tongues before she pulled back and again began kissing Callen's eyes and nose while giving little laughs and sighs.

Callen's passion flared again and this time there was no turning back. He put his hands on her breasts kneading them through her shirt. He began kissing her and blowing air behind her ear again causing Nell to moan in response and heat to gather in his groin. He loved the sounds he could make her utter with his hands and mouth. He couldn't get enough of her moans. He placed more wet kisses down her neck while undoing her shirt to access her breasts. As soon as he had her shirt open he reached around, unhooked her bra then pulled both off and threw them aside.

He continued his kisses moving down to her breasts and began swiping his tongue over and around her small nipples, taking them into his mouth and gently biting them and stretching them out away from her breasts with his teeth until each one was hard and standing proud. Taking one breast in his mouth to suckle it, he continued massaging her other nipple with his thumb and then began suckling that breast in turn. Nell was whimpering and moaning from the sensations Callen was causing her. She couldn't get enough of his mouth on her breasts so arched her back and grabbed the back of his neck pulling him closer so he could take more of her breast into his mouth. The suckling sensations she was feeling along with the rubbing of his thumb across her nipples caused heat to accumulate between her legs. She pulled all the buttons off his shirt removing it so she could caress his bare chest then began unbuttoning his jeans so she could slip her hand inside his boxers and begin fondling him.

Callen felt her unbuttoning his pants and stood up to give her more room. Once they were undone, he helped her pull them and his boxers down until they pooled around his feet and then stepped out of them. He set Nell down and stripped her of her skirt and panties until she was standing naked in front of him. He looked at the breathtaking sight of Nell standing there clothed in nothing but her beautiful skin, which caused his blue eyes to darken with smoldering passion. She was so beautiful, it took his breath away. The look he gave her caused her to blush furiously. "My God, you're so beautiful Nell" he breathed. "How did I ever get so lucky?"

Nell looked him slowly up and down worshipping him with her eyes, then whispered "You're not so bad yourself G".

They stood there looking at each other, while all either could think of was coming together as one. Callen took her into his arms and walked her down to his bedroom and laid her on his bed. She looked like she belonged there in his bed and it caused his heart to race seeing the look she was giving him. He lay down next to her as they explored each other fully with their hands, mouths and bodies. Before their love-making session was over, Callen had Nell screaming his name as she experienced multiple orgasms from what he was doing with just his mouth and hands. He then entered her and they began to move together in the age-old dance of lovers. As they both reached the heights of their passion, they fell into infinity together. Callen groaned "You're going to be the death of me Nell…you know that?"

They continued to stare at each other as they rode out their climaxes and their breathing slowed down. He moved off Nell and pulled her into his side so they could cuddle and covered them both with his comforter.

"Wow...that was...wow...that was absolutely amazing, G" Nell smiled. "I've never had multiple orgasms before."

"Then the person you were with was an idiot and didn't know how to love a woman. You're the amazing one Nell. So much for taking it slowly," he laughed. "I will never get tired of making love with you." Callen confessed nuzzling her breasts again before laying his head between them and sighing in contentment.

He panicked slightly when a sudden thought occurred to him. "Oh God Nell, I forgot to wear a condom. I didn't think. I'm so sorry, I lost control" he apologized.

Nell giggled as she replied "It's okay, G. I'm on the pill. There's nothing to worry about." She thought about his apology realizing how very much he worried about protecting her while letting her know that he trusted her to be able to take care of herself. It was so endearing and it showed her how much of a gentleman he truly was. They lay together in bed for a while just basking in each other's company. No words were needed. Callen was almost asleep when he felt Nell lift up the comforter, peek underneath and then move to straddle him. Before he could ask her what she was doing, he felt her beginning to go down on him.

"Nell, what are you doing?" he groaned while clutching the sheets with both hands.

"I'm seeing what's coming up, G" she snickered as she bent her head again and took him back in her mouth. She was able to bring Callen to a second orgasm as she continued loving him under the covers.

"Oh God Nell, where did you learn that? That was amazing." Callen couldn't believe the climax he had just had. "You are such a surprising woman and I mean that in the best sense of the word. I've never been loved before like you've loved me tonight. It makes me love you more than ever. "

When Nell replied "Books" Callen couldn't help himself. He burst out laughing while hugging her to him again. Nell looked at him in confusion but then realized what she had said and began giggling herself.

"Only you, Nell, only you."

They lay in bed talking about inconsequential things and before either one of them realized it, they were asleep in each other's arms.

~,~,~

Callen came awake with a start when he heard sounds coming from his kitchen. He carefully got out of bed making sure to not wake Nell, pulled on his pants, grabbed his cell phone and padded down the hallway with his gun in his hand. Stopping just outside his kitchen and looking around, he could barely make out someone trying to get in the back door. If the moon hadn't been shining in the backyard, he wouldn't have been able to see a thing. He quickly sent his 'agent in distress' code while quietly slipping into the kitchen, making sure he was unseen and unheard. He wondered where the guards were and hoped they hadn't been hurt or killed.

He waited for the intruder to get the door open and step into the kitchen. Once the man was fully inside his home, he put his gun to the back of his head growling "Don't move. Get down on your knees and cross your ankles."

When the intruder was slow complying with his request, he shoved his gun harder into the back of his head "Do it now."

Once the intruder was on his knees with his ankles crossed Callen continued "Put your hands behind your head or I'll blow you away." The intruder complied with Callen's request quickly this time. Callen handcuffed him securely and then turned on the lights. Pulling off the intruder's mask, Callen was completely shocked at who he saw. "What the hell are you doing here? No, on second thought, don't answer that. Lay down on the floor." He then put another pair of cuffs around the man's ankles so he couldn't move.

~,~,~


	12. Chapter 12: Arkady Visits

Why did Arkady sneak into Callen's house? What is he doing there and why happened to the guards? For the translation of the Russian in this chapter, see the author's note at the end.

I only own my own characters which include Stefan and Mark in this story.

Anything in italics within single quotes is a quote from my one-shot "Can't Stay Away". Anything in italics and double quotes is thoughts.

Nope…no matter how hard I wish, NCIS LA nor any of the characters on the show are mine. And sadly, they never will be.

Reviews are always welcome. If you are enjoying this story or even if you're not, leave a review and and tell me why.

Enjoy.

~,~,~

CHAPTER 12: Arkady Visits

Callen couldn't believe who he had tied up on his kitchen floor. He stood there staring at him almost in shock. Then, hearing Nell moving around in his bedroom, he called out "Nell, come here please." When she entered the kitchen, Callen was relieved to see she had gotten completely dressed. He told her to watch the prisoner while he checked out the guards. As he approached his front door, he heard Sam calling out. Opening the door, he saw Sam along with Deeks and Kensi approaching.

"I'm all right, it's okay. I didn't know who was trying to break in when I sent the agent in distress signal, it's an unwanted visitor. He's cuffed in the kitchen with Nell watching him for me. None of you are going to believe who it is when you see him." Callen quit talking with a shake of his head.

Sam gave him a suspicious look as he made sure Callen was telling the truth about being okay. When G mentioned Nell, Sam looked him straight in the eyes silently challenging him to come clean about their relationship, but Callen stared right back at him with an impassive face. Sam sighed heavily while rolling his eyes at his partner "I'll join Nell. The guards have been knocked out but they're going to be okay."

"Kensi, Deeks, check the perimeter of the house and the grounds to see if there are any more intruders out there. See if you can find anything. We'll be in the kitchen when you're done so come on back" Callen requested as he followed Sam back to the kitchen. He heard both of them say okay as they turned back toward the front door.

"Hi Nell, I see you have things under control in here. But why are you here in the first place?" Sam asked giving both her and Callen a calculating look. Both chose to ignore him as he got his first look at the intruder which drove the questions he had for Nell and Callen out of his mind for the moment. "What the hell are you doing here Arkady?"

Callen chimed in "Yes, what exactly are you doing here? In the middle of the night I might add."

"I heard rumors that someone was after you old friend. I came to talk to you and found the guards out cold. I thought maybe you were in trouble so looked around but didn't see anyone outside so was sneaking into the house to see if I could catch them. I wasn't expecting you to threaten to blow me away! I thought we were friends." Arkady fumed. He couldn't believe Callen had gotten the drop on him so easily and it had him fuming. His knees were aching from when Callen made him kneel on the floor and he was embarrassed to be trussed up like a pig at a roast in front of Callen and his friends.

"You could have called. Friends don't break into other friend's homes" Callen retorted.

Arkady gave him a look of utter disbelief while shaking his head and muttering in Russian "Druz'ya ne vorvat'sya v druz'ya domov . Neuzheli on dazhe slyshat' sebya . Chto litsemer ! Skol'ko raz on narushil v moy dom ; skol'ko raz ! I u nego yest' shary , chtoby skazat' , chto dlya menya . YA bespokoyus' o starogo druga , ili kak tam my , pytayutsya zashchitit' yego i eto blagodarit ya poluchayu ? YA nikogda by ne poluchili uchastvuyet . YA starayus' delat' chto-to pravil'no , a nayti sebe skrutili do , kak svin'ya . YA pytayus' byt' drug , i on manzhety menya . Eto ne tak, kak ya ozhidal , chtoby zakonchit' moy vecher ."

"Ladno, ladno , mne ochen' zhal'. Ponyatno ." Callen reluctantly admitted. "Ty prav ; YA slomal v vashem dome ran'she, poetomu ya predpolagayu, chto my kvity. What have you heard?"

"How about taking the cuffs off first and letting me up from the floor. I would be much more comfortable not trussed up like a pig about to have an apple stuffed in his mouth."

"Fine." Callen removed Arkady's cuffs and offered to make coffee for everyone. "Now spill it. What have you heard?" Kensi and Deeks arrived in the kitchen just as Arkady sat down. After giving Callen a questioning look, Deeks let everyone know that if anyone had been there, Arkady must have scared them off.

Arkady relayed everything he had heard and been able to find out about who was after Callen."Someone with a Romani background has put the word out on the streets to get him any information about you they can. The rumor says he will pay big money to know everything about you. I haven't found out this man's name yet, but I'm working on it as we speak. If I find anything out, I will let you know."

He went on to tell them that from what he heard, the Romani man was after Callen for revenge, but as yet, no one knew why. "I have heard rumors that there is a group of men asking all sorts of questions about NCIS and you in particular, but no one has been able to identify them." Once he finished talking, there was silence in the kitchen.

Nell was the first one to come up with a plausible explanation. "Could the accident yesterday have been a setup to get Callen out in the open? From everything Eric and I have been able to find out about the Commander, there was no reason for anyone to want to kill him. The classified briefing he was attending was not out of the ordinary for him. Nothing in his background or his assignments for the Navy threw up any red flags. And according to all the forensics information gathered, the incendiary device used was very small and shouldn't have caused the car to flip like it did. Maybe the deaths of the Commander and his driver were just collateral damage and Callen was the target all along."

When Nell finished speaking, the team took a few minutes to mull over her words. The implications of Romani involvement made everyone in the kitchen start reviewing what they knew so far about the case and the previous times they had been involved with someone with a Romani background.

Callen began by re-stating everything they had. "All right, let's review. Here's what we know so far. Someone with a Romani background is after me for revenge and is trying to find information on me. He had to have put together a team because there was evidence of more than one man at the crash site where the sniper set up. Arkady has heard rumors of numerous men asking questions. Maybe they're part of the team whoever this person is put together. We have no idea how big this team is. Whoever is after me must know I'm NCIS because the way he got my attention was through a Navy commander. There's nothing in the Commander's background raising any flags. That's what we have so far, correct?" Callen looked at each team member in turn, then Arkady and received nods back from everyone.

Deeks asked the next question "Could it be another Comescue we've been unaware of? They have tried to kill you before, Callen."

"I thought all the Comescue's were dead" Arkady commented.

"Me too" came from both Sam and Kensi.

Callen took control again. "Maybe we were wrong. Nell, you and Eric go back through everything we know about the Comescues. Also check known associates and friends, cousins, anyone you think might still have any loyalty to the family. Deeks, you and Kensi talk to the cops involved and go back to the crime scene if you need to. See if they've found anything else that might help us. Check out the area the shot came from too. Maybe something was missed. Arkady, check with your contacts and see if you can get any more details."

Before Callen could say anything else, his phone rang. He put it on speaker so everyone could hear. Hetty's voice came over the phone. "Mr. Hanna, I want you to take Mr. Callen to a safe house. I've sent an agent with the information and the keys. Mr. Callen, you are to stay at the safe house. You can lead the investigation and help us go over the information we have and will get, but you are NOT to leave the safe house. Is that clear?"

"Yes, Hetty" Callen sighed. He knew she was right, but he didn't want to be sidelined while everyone else was putting themselves in danger for him. _"Maybe I can persuade her to let me help out if I give in now"_ he thought.

Hetty continued "Mr. Kolchek, thank you for your information and your continuing help."

"Spasibo Khetti . Po krayney mere, nekotoryye lyudi tsenyat moi usiliya ." Arkady looked at Callen again and smirked.

"Nell and Eric will be with you in the safe house. It has a mini-OPS setup on-site so you'll be able to coordinate the efforts from there and see anything we come up with on a real-time basis. I don't have to tell any of you that this is the highest priority for your team. I want these bastards caught as soon as possible. No-one comes after my team and gets away with it. However, it's late and we need to be rested so that we can start fresh in the morning. Go…get some sleep everyone. Report in tomorrow morning from the safe house." Hetty finished her instructions to the team and disconnected.

~,~,~

Callen thanked Arkady again for the heads-up he had provided. Arkady promised to keep him informed if he found out anything else and left to return to his home and contacts. Everyone else, including Nell, went their separate ways to get the rest Hetty ordered after making arrangements to meet at 8 am in the morning. Callen and Sam waited for the agent with the keys and then Sam drove them both to the safe house.

Once at the safe house, Sam called Michelle to let her know what was going on and that he wouldn't be home for a while. He then sacked out in one of the bedrooms while Callen tried to get a little more sleep in the second bedroom.

An hour later, Callen was up and wandering around. He couldn't sleep any more so made a pot of coffee and began practicing his Russian. By 6 am he had been up for several hours and had not only practiced his Russian, but his French and Romanian as well. He had taken apart the coffee maker and put it back together again. He knew Sam needed his rest so he tried to be quiet. If his puttering around woke Sam up, he knew he would be pissed. He sat there trying to think of what else he could do, but before long, thoughts of Nell intruded_ "I wish Nell was here. I would like to be with her. I sleep better when she's here…I don't know why, but it's true. Maybe it's because of all the exercise we've been getting"_ he snickered to himself. _"She is an amazing woman and I'm so lucky to have her. I never thought I would have someone in my life. I can actually see a future with her, but we have to get this case solved first. I don't want her in danger because of me."_

~,~,~

AN: * Translation of the Russian:

Arkady: "Friends don't break into friends homes. Does he even hear himself. What a hypocrite! How many times has he broken into my home; how many times! And he has the balls to say that to me. I worry about an old friend, or whatever the hell we are, try to protect him and this is the thanks I get? I should never have gotten involved. I try to do something right and find myself trussed up like a pig. I'm trying to be friend and he cuffs me. This is not way I expected to end my evening." **and** "Thank you Hetty. At least some people appreciate my efforts."

Callen: "Okay, okay, I'm sorry. I get it." **and** "You're right; I've broken into your house before, so I guess we're even."

~,~,~


	13. Chapter 13: Devil's Advocate

Callen gets somewhat of a lecture from Sam about his relationship with Nell. Does Sam approve of their relationship? What does Callen think about Sam's nosiness?

For the translation of the Romanian, see the end of this chapter.

I only own my own characters which include Stefan and Mark in this story.

Anything in italics within single quotes is a quote from my one-shot "Can't Stay Away". Anything in italics and double quotes is thoughts.

Nope…no matter how hard I wish, NCIS LA nor any of the characters on the show are mine. And sadly, they never will be. I keep asking for Deeks as a Christmas present, but I must be on Santa's naughty list for some reason because I never get him.

Reviews are always welcome. The last chapter got several very nice reviews which made my day and saved my toes from injury. Thank you **bjq, blue dogs rock, Aquamarin28626 and Guest.** If you are enjoying this story, especially this chapter, or even if you're not, leave a review on the way out and tell me why.

Enjoy.

~,~,~

CHAPTER 13: Devil's Advocate

The object of the team's investigation had heard from some contacts that they might be able to find out where Callen lived, but he had been waiting all night and not heard back from them. He was becoming not only impatient but angry as well. He knew something had gone wrong…again. _"De ce este faptul că al naibii de american atât de greu să-l omoare ? Am de gând să aibă de a face loc de muncă mine ?" _He tried to distract himself from the slowly passing time by scrutinizing his plans once again, going over them to find any flaws, but couldn't concentrate he was so frustrated. _"De ce durează atât de mult le să raporteze înapoi ?"_

When he finally heard back from the team sent to see if they could find where Callen lived, they had nothing to report. All he was told was that the team had tried to stake out the house that might be connected to Callen, but someone had already beat them to the location. They had taken out the two-man team in place, but before they could find out if the information was correct, first a single person had arrived and entered the house and then additional people began arriving. They knew they would be discovered if they stayed, so they slipped away into the night. Then, when they went back the next morning, there were till too many people around for them to try to break in. They had not seen Callen in all of the people around the house. They had waited while watching people come and go, never seeing Callen himself. Once everyone was gone, they finally broke into the house but found nothing to tie the site to Callen.

The big black man, what was his name again Stefan thought _"Oh, da Sam Hanna" _hadn't been killed in the ambush, but at least he could take some comfort in the fact Callen had been wounded. That should slow him down and make him an easier target. He was still monumentally angry that Sam hadn't been the one shot. He hadn't yet decided what he was going to do about it but when he did, heads might roll.

~,~,~

Callen had trouble sleeping in the safe house. He tossed and turned for hours before giving it up as a lost cause. By 7 am the following morning, he had taken the coffee maker apart and put it back together again. He had already drank move coffee than he wanted so moved on to some tea he found in a kitchen cupboard and was contemplating taking the coffee maker apart again when he heard someone knock quietly on the front door. He raced to the door and looked through the peephole to see Nell standing there with donuts and her laptop. Opening the door he pulled her inside and kissed her before saying "Hi Nell. Did you get any sleep last night?" He kissed her again. "I missed having you next to me. I sleep better when I'm with you." He ushered her into the kitchen and offered her some tea hoping Sam wouldn't wake up.

Nell accepted the tea gratefully. "I missed waking up with you too this morning, G"

"You look tired. I hope I didn't wear you out last night" he before kissing her once again while gently leering at her. "Sam's asleep in one of the bedrooms so we have to be quiet" he continued as he pulled her into his arms and continued kissing her passionately. "Last night was incredible and I can't wait to get some more 'exercise' like that."

"Why, Mr. Callen, I do believe you're propositioning me" Nell smirked as she returned the kiss holding him around the waist. "And no, you didn't wear me out. I'm ready for more exercise, as you so quaintly put it...any time, any place."

"Yes, I am propositioning you, little spider. I'm completely caught in your web."

Unknown to both Callen and Nell, Sam had heard the knock on the door. When he realized it was Nell, he stayed in the bedroom for a couple of minutes before slipping down the hallway toward the kitchen. He already had his suspicions about the two of them and wanted to confirm them before he confronted Callen. If he was right, he was happy for both of them, but he was definitely going to give Callen the big brother interrogation along with some much deserved teasing. He was mentally rubbing his hands together in anticipation. When he decided he had waited long enough, he began getting ready to surprise both of them. Keeping out of sight, he heard their conversation and gave a mental cheer before striding into the kitchen "Am I interrupting something?" he asked with a knowing smirk on his face.

Both Callen and Nell blushed furiously and had embarrassed looks on their faces as Sam just continued grinning at them. "I see. It's like that is it? Well, well, well. I think its time I have a private conversation with G. Nell, will you excuse us for a couple of minutes?"

Nell could see the glint in his eyes and knew Callen was in for some major league teasing. She looked at Callen with a question in her eyes. He nodded his head so she took her tea with her "I'll be in the living room. Don't be too long, I'll get the OPS center here set up and as soon as everyone is here, we'll can go over everything we have so far."

"We'll be there in a minute Nell" Sam stated while staring at Callen with a stern look on his face.

As soon as Nell left the room, Sam looked at G with his eyebrow raised waiting for the man to speak up. He was going to enjoy this! Callen looked at Sam, then down to his tea cup, back up to Sam, down to his tea cup and then heaved a sigh. "What do you want to say to me Sam? Just spit it out okay."

"What are your intentions toward our analyst G? Are they honorable?"

Callen sputtered "What…honorable?…what! That's none of your business Sam. Do I question you about your relationship with Michelle?"

"So there is a relationship between you and Nell then? Glad to hear it and I know how long it's been going on for too."

"Are you sure, big guy?"

"I'm sure, I'm not stupid you know. It's been going on for, oh…3 months or so, I would think" Sam smirked.

"How…how did you know it's been that long…no don't answer that, I don't want to know," Callen sighed. "Yes, as I already told you in the car, Nell and I have been seeing each other for a while now. We're taking it slow because I don't want to screw this up. I like her Sam…I like her a lot. And for some reason, she feels the same about me. I tried to stay away…I really did. I thought I was too old for her…but she doesn't agree. She may be small, but she sure has a mind of her own. Do you know she actually gave me hell when I said that to her?"

"Said what to her?"

"That I was too old for her. She said I wasn't and that she was an old soul anyway."

"That sounds like our Nell. What about Eric? Does he know anything about this? I thought he and Nell had a thing."

"No they don't have a 'thing'. They're friends, nothing more, but I didn't know that until recently. That's why I waited so long before I asked Nell out. I didn't want to come between them. You're the only one who knows about us. We're trying to keep it quiet and maintain a professional relationship at work."

"I'll bet Hetty knows" Sam retorted.

"Well, yeah…she probably does. She's Hetty after all. But she hasn't said anything to me or Nell, so if she knows about us, I guess she's okay with it. I think we've proven that we won't let it affect our jobs. Sam, I've never felt like this about anyone before. It's new to me and I've got to admit somewhat scary. But so far, it's working. I think I finally know how Deeks and Kensi feel. For the life of me, I don't know how Deeks coped as well as he did when Kensi was in Afghanistan."

"Neither do I, G. He put on a very good show. I don't think he wanted Hetty to know how much her sending Kensi away hurt him. I think he's lost the trust he had in her too. One of these days her machinations are going to come back and bite her in the butt and I for one, want to be there when it does. Are you happy?"

"Yeah I am…I really am. She means the world to me and I don't have to lie to her about what I do for a living."

"Good. And just so you know, I know you've done more than 'take it slow' but that's none of my business. But if you hurt her, you and I…" Sam pointed between him and Callen several times, "…you and I will have words. I think of her as a little sister and I want what's best for her. If that's you, great." Sam decided to change the subject. "How's your arm?"

"Better" Callen replied. He just had to continue though, he owed Sam a little payback. "I am the best for her, at least that's what she says. And just so you know..." Callen returned the pointing between him and Sam to make his point. "...what you just said about what you would do to me if I hurt Nell? That goes double if you hurt Michelle."

"You wound me G! I would never hurt Michelle. How can you even think that?"

"Well, I won't ever hurt Nell either so I guess we have nothing to worry about, do we?" Callen snickered at the look on Sam's face.

"You were messing with me? Don't mess with me, G. Payback's a bitch."

"Yes it is, isn't it" Callen chuckled at the look on Sam's face. "Coffee?"

~,~,~

Translation of the Romanian:

_"Why is that damned American so hard to kill? Am I going to have to do the job myself?"_

_"What's taking them so long to report back?"_ **and**

_"Oh, yes Sam Hanna"_


	14. Chapter 14: A Portable OPS Center

So Sam's okay with Callen and Nell being together. That's great but when are they going to get a break on this case? Who is really targeting the team? This story is about half over now so answers will be coming.

I only own my own characters which include Stefan and Mark in this story.

Anything in italics within single quotes is a quote from my one-shot "Can't Stay Away". Anything in italics and double quotes is thoughts.

Nope…no matter how hard I wish, NCIS LA nor any of the characters on the show are mine. And sadly, they never will be. Bugger!

Reviews are always welcome. If you are enjoying this story, especially this chapter, or even if you're not, leave a review on your way out and tell me why. It really is the only form of payment I receive and truly does inspire me to write more often.

Enjoy.

~,~,~

CHAPTER 14: A Portable OPS Center

Sam grabbed a cup of the coffee as he and Callen walked into the living room where Nell was just finishing setting up the portable OPS center. She looked up as they entered, then glanced at Callen with a questioning look on her face. He raised his eyebrows and shrugged his shoulders to let her know everything was okay.

"Here's what we have so far guys." She stated bringing up information on the plasma TV attached to the wall. Before she could even begin to brief them, another knock came from the front door which turned out to be Eric. Sam let him in and they all gathered around the plasma. Eric set up his equipment while Nell finally started with the briefing.

Nell began "First, here's a recap on what we know at this point. Based on what we found out about the Commander, there was no reason for him to be targeted. His record is not only clean; it is exemplary. Both his and his driver's financials and background checks came back clean. We investigated friends and relatives of them both to see if we could find anything out of the ordinary. Nothing suspicious showed up so far. We'll keep digging. From what Kensi and Deeks found at the base, the commander was well liked. No one could think of anyone who might have a grudge against him. The briefing he was attending was a normal briefing for him and occurred on a monthly basis. This might have been why he was targeted in the first place, he had a set routine so it would have been easy to target him to get NCIS involved."

Eric took over for Nell "I checked all the traffic cams in the area of the crash including where the shooter was known to be but found nothing. I also went back two hours before you and Sam arrived at the scene to see if maybe the shooter set up early. I found a black SUV with tinted windows entering the access road to where we believe the shooter set up. I couldn't get a good angle to see the license plate. Sorry guys. Here's the traffic cam footage of the SUV." Kensi and Deeks arrived as Eric was putting the footage up on the plasma and took their places in front of the screen. Hetty was networked in from OPS so she could see and hear everything going on at the safe house.

"We also collected the traffic cam footage from the streets around your house Callen and it looks like the same black SUV was there last night." Nell brought up the footage from the previous night.

"On this footage, I was able to pull the first three numbers of the license plate. I have a Kaleidoscope search running now." Pointing to the screen, Eric pointed out "Right there, you can see what looks like one man take out the guard in the car while a second man took out the guard patrolling your house. This happened just before Arkady arrived," Eric fast forwarded the footage to the time Arkady arrived. As they continued watching, what looked like two men left the area on foot as Arkady looked into the car and saw the guard slumped over. They then watched him go toward the back of the house. The time stamp on the traffic cam was just a couple of minutes before Callen caught him in his kitchen.

"Well at least we know Arkady was telling the truth." Sam interjected.

Nell continued "We're still checking the camera footage around the base to see if we can figure out who sabotaged the Commander's car. We've found nothing so far."

Eric took over once again, "Here's some good news. We checked through airport footage of everyone entering through passport control here in LA from Romania for the last month and ran facial recognition on all of them." Eric put a picture up on the screen. "The only person of interest we identified is this man." Eric posted the passport photo on the plasma. "The name on his passport is Stefan Badžo. He entered the US last week. Digging deeper into his background, we found out he worked for the Comescue's but we haven't yet been able to find out much more. Even though his last name is different, we did establish he is a distant relative. We think this is the guy targeting you Callen. We're using Kaleidoscope to try to find him as well. We've got nothing yet, but we're still searching."

"He looks familiar, but I can't figure out where I've seen him before" Callen said studying the face on the screen. It bothered him he couldn't figure out where he had seen the man before. He was racking his brain trying to come up with the answer but coming up empty.

"Keep looking for him Mr. Beale. I don't care what you have to do, find him," Hetty instructed. Hetty looked to the rest of the team. "While Eric and Nell are looking for Badžo, I want all of you to comb through Mr. Callen's old cases and see if you can find out why he looks familiar. I'll bring them to the safe house and you can all work from there."

~,~,~

The next few days were a blur for the team as they poured over old case files while Eric and Nell continued trying to track Stefan Badžo's movements. They ran into a dead end with the SUV. They found it abandoned in an alley, but it turned out to have been stolen a couple of days before the shooting so they had no idea what type of vehicle Badžo was using now. The SUV had been wiped clean so they didn't have any forensics either. At one point the team successfully tracked him to a seedy hotel in a poorer part of LA but missed catching him by a day. They had yet to pick his trail back up and were becoming frustrated. The camera footage around the base hadn't yielded any leads either. They were no closer to finding out who had planted the bomb than when it first went off.

The case files weren't providing much in the way of leads either. Nothing stood out in any of the files that caught their attention. In desperation, Callen began re-reading the case file from when they had gone to Romania to save Hetty. He started from the beginning while trying to remember every little detail of the trip and the subsequent shootout. As he continued to read, his mind wandered.

_"I still can't believe Deeks came with us to Romania. He isn't even a federal agent but he came anyway to save Hetty and back us up, especially Kensi. I don't tell him enough how talented, smart and brave I think he is. He really lightens the atmosphere in the bullpen with his quips, jokes and the insane ideas he throws out on occasion. It took me a while but I finally realized he does it for just that reason; to relieve the tension when we're working a case. He's a good man and I need to make sure he knows that's what I think. I wish Hetty hadn't separated him and Kensi like she did. He's not as light-hearted as he used to be. Watching him these last few months, I can tell he doesn't trust Hetty like he used to. It's a real shame, and it's also affecting the way Nell and I are conducting ourselves. We don't want to be separated and I'm not really sure any more that Hetty wouldn't do that to us. I'd quit before I let her separate us. I hope she realizes just how much damage she's done to this team and our trust in her. I hope to God she figures out a way to fix the mess she caused before it's too late."_

~,~,~

Nell was the first one to finally get a lead on where Badžo might be. She and Eric had been checking all the social networking sights in hope of a lead. She finally saw someone who looked a little like him on one of the sites. It was a party at a bar called the Happy Hippo on Wilshire where one of the party goers seemed to think he was the next Spielberg. A blurry figure in the background of several of the pictures looked somewhat like Badžo so Kensi and Deeks were dispatched to the location to see if the manager of the bar could identify him as their man. If he could, they would try to pick up his trail from there.

Since it had been days since anyone had been around Callen's house, he was finally able to talk Hetty into letting him return home and have the case transferred back to the Mission. "I'll be careful, Hetty. I don't think whoever was sneaking around found out anything. Hell, it might not even be connected to Badžo. Besides, this way we can use the OPS center here, instead of the one in the safe house."

"Are you sure Mr. Callen? You're taking a risk because it could still be connected. We don't know for sure."

"I know Hetty. I'll be more comfortable in my own home though. Even if you did kind of force me to buy it, I find that I like it there." Callen replied.

"Okay Mr. Callen. Just be careful." As he turned to leave, Hetty continued "And watch your back! This isn't over by a long shot."

~,~,~


	15. Chapter 15: Identifying the Mastermind

They've finally got some information on the man behind the Commander's death and Callen's shooting. But now Kensi and Deeks are being followed. Will they make it back to OSP in one piece or will Stefan start getting his revenge by taking out the both of them?

I only own my own characters which include Stefan Badžo in this story.

Anything in italics within single quotes is a quote from my one-shot "Can't Stay Away". Anything in italics and double quotes is thoughts.

Nope…no matter how hard I wish, NCIS LA nor any of the characters on the show are mine. And sadly, they never will be. My minions are grumbling in their den again and making all kinds of threats against Shane Brennan because he won't share Deeks with them. Nasty little buggers aren't they?

Reviews are always welcome. If you are enjoying this story, especially this chapter, or even if you're not, leave a review on your way out and tell me why.

Enjoy.

~,~,~

CHAPTER 15: Identifying the Mastermind

Callen had been pouring over his old case files for hours to see what additional information on Stefan he could glean from them by the time Kensi and Deeks checked in.

"The manager positively identified Stefan Badžo from the picture we showed him. He said he's been in the bar a couple of times recently, so we're going to canvas the area to see if anyone else might have seen him" Deeks reported.

"Be careful you two, we don't know if he's dangerous or not." Callen replied.

"Yes we do Callen. He's a member of the Comescue family so of course he's dangerous. But he's going to find out just how dangerous this team is when someone pisses us off." Kensi retorted. "Don't worry. We're maintaining our situational awareness and we're being careful."

"Yeah, Callen. We're being careful, unless of course, you're talking about Kensi's driving. If you are, it's the people around us who have to be careful." Deeks waited for it and sure enough, Kensi punched him in the arm while rolling her eyes and growling "Deeks.".

"Ow! Kensalina. Really? I was simply telling Callen the truth." That earned him another punch in the arm, but he had achieved his goal of making Kensi smile. Any day he could get her to smile was a good day in his mind.

Once Callen ended the call, she and Deeks began canvasing again, starting with the shops around the Happy Hippo asking people if they recognized the man in the photo. Most of them said no, but they did find one older man who said he looked familiar. He owned a small neighborhood pub a block down from the bar they had left recently.

"Are you sure the man in the photo is the man you've seen?" Kensi asked.

"Not completely sure miss, but I think its him. Most of my customers are regulars, you know, neighborhood people, and I know all of them. We're a family owned pub. My dad opened this pub when I was a child and I took over for him when he retired. Our regulars are like old friends, so strangers stand out. This guy wasn't a regular so he really looked out of place in my pub. If he's who I think he is, he's renting a room down the block in one of the motels where you can rent rooms by the week. The guy I'm thinking of was in here the other day with another man. I heard them talking about where they were staying. Then they got real quiet and began talking in some foreign language. I wasn't paying too much attention after that because I had my regular customers to take care of."

"Thanks for the information sir," Deeks replied. "You've been a big help. If you see him again, call me at this number, but don't let him know you recognize him. He's dangerous, so be careful and make sure he doesn't catch you watching him."

~,~,~

After several hours, Callen decided to take a break from looking through the old case files and get a cup of tea to help clear his head. There were still stack of files on his desk even though he had plowed through about half of them. Once his tea was ready, he sat back down and began plowing through more files. He was getting to the point where he wanted to punch something so decided to take another break when he finished the file in his hand then go to the target range and shoot something to ease some of the tension he was feeling. He was almost through the file when he found a single sentence that sparked a memory. The sentence indicated that **'One of the men guarding the Comescue compound was wounded in the firefight when the main house was breached but he managed to escape in the confusion.'**

Thinking about the actual breach of the main house, Callen remembered seeing the man's face briefly. It was as if a light went on in his brain. _"That's why the face is familiar, I saw him in Romania!"_ He realized it was Stefan Badžo he had seen when they stormed the compound to rescue Hetty. He was the man that got away.

"I found something." Callen called out to Sam, Eric and Nell. "I remember seeing Badžo when we were in Romania. It was when we breached the house. He was wounded but he managed to escape. We were all so concerned about Hetty, we never did find him. I forgot all about him until just now."

Sam asked "Are you sure it's him G? I mean there were a lot of men shooting at us during the firefight."

"Yes, I'm sure. I got a good look at his face, I know it's him. He must want payback for us taking down the Comescue's. But why wait this long before coming after me? I mean, it's been almost a year since we were in Romania."

"Maybe the wound was worse than we thought. Maybe...what if it's taken him this long to recover and make his plans?" And then he would have had to put his plan into place and recruit a team. All of that takes time."

"That's true Sam and it does explain the time lapse."

Sam began going through all the ramifications of the previous case trying to put all the pieces together with their current case. "You know, we were all in that raid on the Comescue compound together..."

"Yeah, so what's your point Sam?"

"I'm thinking here G...They had pictures of us when we entered the country through customs. Remember, Hetty told us. That's how they knew not only who we were but why we were there...he already knows what we all look like..." Sam was still thinking. "He might want to target any one of us now that you're unreachable or...shit!...he may already be after all of us for that matter. We were all in it together after all."

"We're missing something." Callen interjected. "Something important."

"G, we need to let Kensi and Deeks know right now. They're in more danger than they realize. If Stefan is targeting all of us, he might be trying to take them out as we speak."

"You're right Sam." Callen began issuing orders. "Nell, let Kensi and Deeks know to be on the lookout for anyone following them and let them know that Badžo is our main suspect. Remind them know he knows what they look like. Tell them they're in danger and to be careful. I want them back here as soon as possible, but make sure they understand they'll have to take every precaution so they're not followed back to OSP." Callen continued issuing orders as he walked toward Hetty's office. "Get up to OPS and start tracking Kensi and Deeks in case they need backup. Hetty and I'll be up in a minute."

~,~,~

Hetty was sipping a cup of tea as he approached her office. "Yes Mr. Callen? Is there something I can do for you?"

"I figured out where I've seen Stefan Badžo's face before. It was in Romania. I saw him when we stormed the house to rescue you. I think he's here after all of us and so does Sam."

"If that's the case, this is much more dangerous than we anticipated."

"Sam, Nell and Eric are in OPS right now tracking Kensi and Deeks. We can make plans to ensure everyone's safety from there.

"When does Kensi think they'll be back here?"

"Nell's on the phone with Deeks letting them know to be careful and watch for tails as they head back. If everything goes according to plan, they should be here within the hour." Callen watched as Hetty sat there silently. He knew she was running over everything in her mind trying to get a clear picture of the current situation.

"What are you thinking Hetty?"

"We need to rethink our strategy, don't you agree Mr. Callen?"

Callen and Hetty continued to discuss everything that had been uncovered since the early morning briefing on the case while they made their way up to OPS.

~,~,~

Nell was completing her briefing to Kensi and Deeks as Callen and Hetty walked into OPS. "Callen wants you and Kensi to head back to OPS immediately. He finally remembered where he's seen Stefan Badžo before. It was in Romania when you guys took down the Comescue's. All of you may be targets not just Callen, so be careful."

"Will do Nell." Deeks ended the call. "Come on Kens...we're wanted back in OSP now. They've identified Badžo as one of the men in the firefight in Romania when we rescued Hetty. God, I wish I was surfing right now." he quipped. "The party just never ends with those people does it? Didn't they get the memo that they lost and to just give it up?"

Kensi snorted "Nope. They never give up do they. Its like a bad cliche. They must like lost causes."

They headed back to their car from the pub. Both of them were surreptitiously looking around to see if anyone was taking an interest in them. They didn't see anything out of the ordinary as they returned to the car though Marty did notice a black Cadillac with deeply tinted windows slowing traveling in the same direction as they were walking. When they reached the car, the Caddy had disappeared. It had piqued Marty's interest though so he kept a look out for it as they got on the road heading back to OSP.

They were on the on-ramp to the 405, a couple of streets down from where they were parked when Marty noticed the Caddy again. Now it really had his attention. He gave Kensi the information while casually looking out the side window of the car. As Kensi sped down the ramp onto the freeway, Deeks kept a look-out for the Caddy and what it was doing while Kensi drove.

~,~,~


	16. Chapter 16: Second Attempt

Will Kensi and Marty make it back to OSP in one piece or are they going to be captured or killed? A better question might be will Marty survive Kensi's driving without spewing all over her car?

I only own my own characters which include Stefan Badžo and Mark Anderson in this story.

Anything in italics within single quotes is a quote from my one-shot "Can't Stay Away". Anything in italics and double quotes is thoughts.

Nope…no matter how hard I wish, NCIS LA nor any of the characters on the show are mine. And sadly, they never will be.

A big thanks to my loyal reviewers **bjq, blue dogs rock, Acquamarin28626 as well as my new reviewer RhondaLara. **Your reviews are what keep me writing.

Reviews are always welcome. My minions are very grumpy and are looking at my toes as something scrumptious to eat. I think they're hungry. Reviews feed the little hellions and if they get hungry, they take it out on me, so please leave a review if you are enjoying this story, especially this chapter, or even if you aren't. I don't want to get my toes chewed.

Please leave me a review on your way out.

Enjoy.

~,~,~

CHAPTER 16: Second Attempt

By the time they were on the freeway returning to the Mission, Deeks had confirmed they were being followed by the Caddy alone. Keeping it low key, he said "Kens, check out the black Caddy. It's now three cars behind us. They've been following us since we left the pub. I wasn't sure at first if they were following us but now I am. I don't see any other tail cars. Do you?"

Kensi took a couple of minutes to look around, but Deeks was right. The Caddy was the only car following them. "I don't see anyone else. You think it's Badžo?" she asked.

"Yeah I do. I can't get a good enough look to recognize anyone, but I can tell there's more than one person in the car, so if it's him, he has people helping him. Or it could be part of the team we think he has with him. We can't let them follow us back to the mission. Try to lose him while I call Callen."

"Will do Marty. Hold on tight." Kensi began slowly speeding up and looking for the best opportunity to get off the freeway without alerting the black Caddy that they were aware it was following them.

Marty called Callen. "Callen, we're currently on the 405, but we've got company. I can't tell if it's Stefan Badžo in the only car tailing us, but we're definitely being tailed. Kensi is getting ready to try to lose them right now. The car following us is a black Caddy. It looks like a 2012 model. I can only get the first part of the license plate. It's 7BCA4, that's 7, Baker, Charlie, Alpha, 4. The rest of the plate is obscured. Get Eric to try and find the car on Kaleidoscope, will you?"

"On it. We're in OPS now." Callen turned to Eric "Eric, see if you can find a black caddy with a partial license plate 7BCA4 on the 405. It's following Kensi and Deeks as we speak."

Callen let Deeks know Eric was getting a Kaleidoscope search running. "Eric's running a search now Is the car still following you?"

"Yes, but they're keeping a constant distance behind us and matching us for speed. I think Kensi is almost ready to try something to lose him. I'll get back to you in a couple of minutes...that is if I'm still alive." He quipped. "You know how she drives."

"Yes, I'm only too well aware of her driving habits. That's why I won't ride with her." Callen snarked.

Kensi gave Marty a dirty look, but had her hands full steering the car so he was spared a punch to the arm. Before he could end the call, Callen called out "Keep the phone on speaker so we can hear what's going on. Can you do that?"

"I'll try my hardest. I've got it in the cup holder right now because I'm hanging on for dear life here. Hopefully it will survive whatever Kensi has in mind to do next, though I'm having doubts that I will." he quipped once again. This time Kensi shot him a dirty look.

"Deeks…" Kensi growled.

"Sorry Sugarbear. Just trying to keep things light," he snarked as he tightened his seatbelt as far as he could and continued hanging on for the ride of his life.

~,~,~

A couple of minutes later, Kensi was ready to lose the Caddy.

"Deeks, here goes, hold on tight." Kensi abruptly swerved across four lanes of traffic, narrowly missing a semi and two cars while taking the offramp she had technically already passed, crossing over the gravel area to get to the actual off ramp, hoping the Caddy wouldn't be able to recover in time to follow them from the freeway.

_"Oh my God! I can't believe she just did that! We were already past the off ramp for God's sake!" _ Marty had whipped his head around as she first started her maneuver and would swear later that it almost continued around in a complete circle. "_She's an absolute maniac when she's behind the wheel. I bet that semi driver almost had a heart attack when he saw her swerve in front of him. I almost had a heart attack myself! Let's hope it worked, because much more of this and I'm going to lose my lunch."_ Marty was now looking out the back window watching the Caddy try to follow them and fail to do so while Kensi fought to maintain control of the car and not crash. He was glad he had his seatbelt buckled so tightly because he was still being tossed around as Kensi used all of her offensive and defensive driving skills to shake the Caddy. He not only was watching to see if Kensi lost their tail, but he was trying not to throw up all over her car. If he did, he knew he would never hear the end of it from her.

_"I'll be detailing this car for the rest of my life if I throw up in it. It won't matter how much she loves me, she'll never let me live it down. Come on, Kiki; you've lost them. Slow down will you. My stomach's already in my throat and a couple more turns like that and the contents of my stomach are going to be all over your car."_

A few harrowing minutes later, they were on Sepulveda and Kensi had successfully lost their tail. "Callen it looks like we lost them" Marty gasped out after trying unsuccessfully a couple of times to get the words to come out of his mouth. "We'll make sure we're not being followed before we head back to the Mission. If we have any more trouble, I'll call."

"We'll see you when you get here. Be careful," Callen replied.

Kensi drove into the neighborhood off of Sepulveda while making turn after random turn. While she did that Deeks kept watch and continued praying he wouldn't spew all over the front seat. Once they were sure no one was following them, they relaxed their vigilance and Kensi slowed down. Marty reached over and took her hand in his. He began stroking her palm with his thumb. "You did good baby girl. Even if I almost lost my lunch all over your car. Your driving was incredible, no one could have done it any better than you did. I'm so proud of you, but just wait. When we get back to OSP you know I'm going to have to tease you about your driving, right? It's what everyone will be expecting me to do."

"I know Marty," Kensi looked at him and gave him a gentle smile. "And I'll make sure I'm really pissed when you tease me about my driving. I may even have to punch you a couple of times. I'll also make sure to pout a little and maybe even whine. Make sure you groan dramatically and say 'Ow' and 'really?' at least once when I punch you. I don't want Hetty getting suspicious about our relationship. She can continue to think that we're only partners. She messed with us once and I'm not going to give her any excuse to mess with us again!"

"Me neither, sugarbear. If she ever tries something like that again she's going to have a fight on her hands!"

Kensi took back roads toward the Mission. Marty was glad she was driving somewhat sanely now. Maybe his stomach would forgive him by the time they reached the OSP. What should have taken them an hour at the most, took almost two and a half hours, but they arrived at the Mission absolutely sure that no one had followed them.

~,~,~

As they walked into the bullpen, both Callen and Sam were relieved to see that the junior partners were fine. Callen took a close look at Deeks, who still had a slightly greenish tint to his complexion, and then at Kensi. With a wide grin on his face he asked her "Did you make Deeks throw up with your driving Kens?"

"What…no…why would you ask that? I'm a good driver…" At the looks of disbelief she began receiving she continued "I am too a good driver, aren't I Deeks?" she looked to her partner for backup. "Deeks?"

"I plead the fifth Kens." Deeks smirked just before Kensi punched him in the arm. "Ow! Kens, really? That hurt, partner; seriously. What was that for?"

"That's for not backing me up," she said giving him a look.

"Aw, come on Kens, I can't help it if your driving sometimes makes me ill. At least I'll ride with you. Callen won't even get in the car if you're driving and you know it." Deeks quipped as he backed up from what looked like another punch coming his way.

"I'm a good…you know what…just...just shut up. You know what I mean. And I am too a good driver," she declared as she stood there with a slight pout on her face.

"Come on everyone," Callen laughed. "Let's get up to OPS."

~,~,~

"Did Eric find the car?" Deeks asked as soon as they reached OPS.

Eric answered "Not yet," and continued working on his computer. "I have Kaleidoscope running right now. But I do have some footage you might like to see. It's of Kensi's defensive driving a couple of hours ago." He pulled up the related footage and began running it. Gasps could be heard from Sam and Callen as they watched what Kensi had done to lose the Caddy.

Marty grumbled quietly to himself, making sure it was just loud enough for Sam to overhear "Defensive driving my ass…more like offensive driving if you ask me." He knew that if Sam could hear him, so could Hetty. He didn't want anyone to get any ideas of what really went on between him and Kensi in private.

Sam heard him and looked over at him once the footage stopped and shook his head. "Damn Deeks, I'm surprised you didn't spew all over the car. You really must have a cast-iron stomach. I'm impressed."

"What about my driving? I lost them didn't I? I think that should count for something." Kensi was actually whining slightly as she replied.

"Kens, you did good, partner." Marty jumped in to soothe what appeared to be her ruffled feathers. _"After all I do have to work with her and we've all teased her enough. I know she knows I'm only doing it to keep Hetty off our back, but I don't want her mad at me…at least not anymore than she already is"_ he thought. Kensi gave him a look of gratitude which made him feel about 10 feet tall. _"Oh man, I think I finally know what it's like to be the knight saving the damsel in distress. Not that I think of Kensi as a damsel…she's more wonder woman than damsel, any day. I…shit…why am I thinking about stupid stuff like this. Kens and I are good!"_

Nell got everyone back on track "I'm checking all the traffic cameras along that stretch of the 405 around the time you noticed them following you. Maybe I can backtrack from there and see where they came from."

"Did you get a chance to do any canvasing before we called you to come back?" Callen asked.

"Yes, we did." Deeks and Kensi then began relating what they had found out. It wasn't much, but it was more than they had before. Deeks told them he had given his card to the pub owner who thought he recognized the man.

Callen instructed Nell "Check out the motels around the Duke of Mead pub near the Happy Hippo on Wilshire." Turning to Deeks he continued "The pub owner did say he thought the guy was staying at one of the motels near his shop right? Maybe we'll get lucky and see him on traffic cams."

~,~,~


	17. Chapter 17: Finding Stefan

I'm so sorry this is late, but real-life has hit with a vengeance and knocked me flat on my tush.

Nell has a shining moment in the hunt for Stefan while Stefan exacts punishment on the two teams who have failed him so far.

I only own my own characters which include Stefan Badžo and Mark Anderson in this story.

Anything in italics within single quotes is a quote from my one-shot "Can't Stay Away". Anything in italics and double quotes is thoughts. For the translation of the Romanian see the end of this chapter.

Nope…no matter how hard I wish, NCIS LA nor any of the characters on the show are mine. And sadly, they never will be.

Reviews are always welcome. If you are enjoying this story, especially this chapter, or even if you aren't, leave me a review on your way out and tell me why.

Enjoy.

~,~,~

CHAPTER 17: Finding Stefan

Recap from previous chapter:

Callen instructed Nell "Check out the motels around the Duke of Mead pub near the Happy Hippo on Wilshire." Turning to Deeks he continued "The pub owner did say he thought the guy was staying at one of the motels near his shop right? Maybe we'll get lucky and see him on traffic cams."

~,~,~

Nell began checking all the motels near the Duke of Mead while Eric continued checking traffic cams. Within the hour, Eric had identified the car coming out of a Motel 6 about a block from the pub. Nell then called the motel, put the phone on speaker and asked to speak to Stefan Badžo while pretending to be his girlfriend. On hearing that there was no Stefan Badžo registered, she stayed in character and began crying "But he told me he was staying there. He's 6 Ft with black hair and speaks with an accent. Are you sure he's not there? I really need to talk to him. I have some news about his sister that he needs to know."

Maybe it was the sobs the motel manager was hearing over the phone or the fact that Nell sounded rather young and naive, but the manager took pity on her and tried to get her to quit crying by telling her "There is a man registered here as Steven Blanco who sounds a little like your boyfriend. I saw him leave a little while ago, but he's rented the room for the week. It might be him. Do you want to leave a message?"

"Oh, thanks so much." Nell gushed through her sobs. "No, I...I probably shouldn't leave a message since it may not be the right person. I don't want to freak some stranger out if he's not my boyfriend Stefan. I'll try again a little later or maybe I'll come by and see if it's my Stefan. You've been such a big help and so kind. I can't thank you enough." There was the sound of clapping in OPS as she hung up the phone.

"Well done, Nell! You're a natural." Callen was pleasantly surprised at how well she had handled the man.

Callen's praise caused a slight blush to begin creeping up Nell's neck and into her cheeks. She hoped no one else in OPS noticed the blush. If they did, it might become awkward. "Thank you Callen. Glad Eric and I could help."

The team began to throw ideas around on how they could verify whether or not it was Stefan Badžo staying at the motel without him noticing them. They couldn't afford a repeat of earlier that day when Kensi and Deeks had been followed but they needed additional information on what Stefan was planning and who might be helping him. The also didn't want to spook him. If he thought they were on to him, he might disappear which would make it even harder to protect themselves and take him down.

~,~,~

While Callen and the team were trying to figure out their next steps to find Badžo, he was trying to figure out how he was going to accomplish his mission to kill them. He had sworn on his families' graves that he would make them pay. It had taken him a long time to find out where they were located and put together a team to track their movements.

At that moment, he was in the warehouse he had rented to use as a base for his mission, listening to the two teams that had failed him; the one that had been tasked with killing Callen and the other that was supposed to follow and kill Kensi and Deeks. Neither team had succeeded in their objectives.

He had gone into a towering rage when he found out that Callen had survived the shooting and that Kensi and Deeks had escaped. He had thought long and hard about what he was going to do because of both teams' failure to accomplish their tasks. He was still extremely angry but had calmed down now that he had finally decided what he was going to do about their failure. He wasn't going to put up with any excuses from the team tasked with killing Callen, or the team tasked with grabbing Kensi and Deeks but that was all he was hearing. Watching the four men, he finally had heard enough of their feeble excuses and motioned for them to shut up.

Looking at each man in turn, he began talking. "Tot aud sunt scuze. Nu vreau domnilor scuze. Vreau rezultate. Voi doi," he pointed at the team assigned to Callen. "Cine a fost cel care a tras pe echipa ta?"

The smaller of the two men said "I was. I hit the blond instead of his partner when he moved in front of him, but I only wounded him. I won't miss the next time."

Stefan then looked at the team assigned to Kensi and Deeks. "Cine a fost șoferul pe echipa ta?" Again, one of the men spoke up and identified himself as the driver and tried to explain once again why they had failed in their objective.

He continued looking at the men in both teams. "Voi accepta nimic mai puțin decât un succes deplin. Nu ne înțelegem, domnilor?" he asked.

Receiving nods from all four men, he turned away from them momentarily. He could hear their sighs of relief and smiled to himself. When he turned back around, he had his gun out and calmly killed the shooter on the first team and the driver on the second, then returned his gun to his shoulder holster. He looked at the two men still standing and continued "I hope I've made myself clear. If you fail me again, you will join your companions. Is that understood?"

"Yes sir" came the dual replies.

~,~,~

Stefan ordered one of the other mercenaries to dispose of the bodies of the men who had failed him. He then instructed the remainder of his team to find out everything they could about the team's movements. He still hadn't found out the location where Callen and his team worked or where Callen himself lived, which was what he really wanted to know. He was still frustrated because he and his team had missed two golden opportunities to exact a portion of revenge and find out where they all worked. First, when the team lead had been shot, they hadn't been able to follow him from the hospital to where he worked or lived; and then second, when they had followed but lost the two agents who had been snooping around his motel room. He thought it would be fitting to take the fight right to their front doors. After all, they had invaded his home when they had traveled to Romania.

~,~,~

Back at the Mission, Eric and Nell were continuing to do everything in their power to identify the men around Badžo so that they could be picked up. They hadn't had much luck so far, but they weren't letting it stop them.

Callen watched Nell working and wondered once again how he had been so lucky to have her come into his life and turn it upside down. He couldn't believe how very important she had become to him. He wanted to be with her all the time, but he knew he had to compartmentalize the two parts of his life; his job as the team leader and being her boyfriend _"God, I hate that term,"_ he thought. _"It makes me sound like I'm sixteen years old for God's sake. Significant other is even worse. Man-friend sounds absolutely ridiculous, so I guess it has to be boyfriend. It is what I am and I wouldn't want it any other way."_ He absently rubbed his wound trying not to scratch the itch he was feeling along the stitches.

~,~,~

At 10 pm, Hetty told everyone to call it a night. They had been working non-stop since very early that morning and she could tell they were worn out. "Let's get a good night's rest and continue in the morning people. Be very careful going home and make sure you're not followed."

"Night Hetty" or "See you in the morning" came from various members of her elite team as they grabbed their bags and made their way out of OSP. Kensi and Deeks automatically began walking out together as they usually did. As soon as they were outside and knew they where in a blind spot where no-one in OSP would be able to see them, they gravitated toward each other until their shoulders were touching and they were able to hold hands.

"My place or yours tonight?" asked Marty.

"Yours. I want…no I need to see Monty. There's just something about your mutt that soothes me Shaggy" Kensi snickered.

"Monty? Monty rates higher than me? Seriously?" Marty looked at her in disbelief. "What about yours truly? Don't I soothe you Kens? I can be very soothing, I do have magic hands" he continued with a leer.

"Keep dreaming Marty, keep on dreaming" Kensi was in full-on teasing mode.

"You wound me Fern. What a way to treat your partner, really…your better half…your dream date."

"More like nightmare" she snorted. Marty gave a very dramatic sigh. If Kensi didn't know better, she would have thought she hurt him, but his arm coming over her shoulder and the kiss on top of her head made it very clear that he knew she was just messing with him.

~,~,~

As they reached Deeks apartment, he followed her up the stairs into the apartment asking her what she wanted for dinner. "Monty misses you too Kensalina. You know that, right?"

"Yeah, I know," she sighed.

"What would you like, pizza or something from Yummy Yummy Heart Attack?"

"I don't care as long as there's beer. Surprise me."

Kensi threw her bag down beside the couch as Monty came toward her, tail wagging furiously. She spent a few minutes petting him and talking to him. "Who's a good boy?" Monty immediately flopped down and rolled onto his back blatantly asking for a tummy rub which Kensi was more than happy to give him.

"Hey Kens…what don't you grab a shower while I order dinner? It should be here by the time you get out. I'll take one later." Marty turned to Monty giving him a dirty look. "Traitor. You're supposed to be man's best friend, Monty. Man's best friend. For a tummy rub you betray your master. I may have to give you back you know." Monty looked up at him before laying his head back down and closing his eyes in doggie bliss as Kensi continued rubbing him.

~,~,~

Translation of the Romanian: "All I'm hearing are excuses. I don't want excuses gentlemen. I want results. You two,";

"Who was the shooter on your team?";

"Who was the driver on your team?" **and **

"I will accept nothing less than complete success. Do we understand each other, gentlemen?"


	18. Chapter 18: Third Attempt

Again, I'm sorry this is late, but not only real life but my computer has been giving me fits! I had this all ready to post yesterday when FF went down and I lost the last bit of my work on this chapter. I had to recreate it this morning.

Stefan is frustrated and angry. He's come up with a plan to kill the entire team. Will he succeed?

I only own my own characters which include Stefan Badžo in this story.

Anything in italics within single quotes is a quote from my one-shot "Can't Stay Away". Anything in italics and double quotes is thoughts.

Nope…no matter how hard I wish, NCIS LA nor any of the characters on the show are mine. And sadly, they never will be.

Reviews are always welcome. If you are enjoying this story, especially this chapter, or eve if you're not, leave a review on your way out and and tell me why. Reviews are my bread and butter and my minions really like bread and butter!

Enjoy.

~,~,~

CHAPTER 18: Third Attempt

The next morning everyone arrived at the Mission bright and early. Nell and Eric were working diligently to find out everything they could about Stefan Badžo's movements since entering the US but it was proving very difficult. He knew how to cover his tracks and it made their jobs just that much harder. The fact they were both worried every time one of the team left the safety of the Mission since Callen had first been shot didn't help their concentration one bit.

Nell was finding it difficult to maintain her objectivity when it came to Callen. Since their relationship had began, she had discovered a new respect for Deeks. He somehow made it seem easy to lay it all on the line to protect Kensi without jeopardizing his own safety needlessly. She still didn't understand how he made it seem so easy all the time, She knew for a fact he worried about Kensi but he was able to let her be herself. He trusted her to take care of herself while making sure he always had her back.

Nell worked hard to do the same when it came to Callen. She knew he was highly trained and was always very aware of what was around him and where his team was when they were out. She still worried about him and knew she always would, but her job was to help protect him and the team when they were out of OSP and she was determined to do everything in her power to do so.

~,~,~

Stefan was still angry. Every time he thought he was close to ending Callen, something went wrong. The sniper had missed and just wounded him at the crash site. The two younger partners, what were their names? He looked at his research again, _"Oh yes, Kensi Blye and Martin Deeks; that's their names. He doesn't look like he's much of an agent, but I must have underestimated him. Both of them are highly trained. I see that now"_ he thought. They had eluded his team following them when they tried to capture them for leverage and to make Callen watch as he tortured and then killed them.

Callen was now nowhere to be found. Callen's team was very protective of each other, which shouldn't have been a surprise to Stefan but was, and they had managed to thwart him on two occasions so far. He was determined there wouldn't be a third occasion. He stood looking out the second story window of the warehouse he was using as a base as he tried to come up with a plan to either get Callen away from his team or kill them all. He stood there thinking over his plan and contingencies for the longest time before a smile suddenly lit up his face.

Snapping his fingers, he called Andrei and told him to bring the Caddy to the warehouse. He knew without a doubt the two younger agents had been able to identify the car when he attempted to kidnap them which he was going to use against them. He was going to use the Caddy to lure the entire team to the warehouse and then blow them all up. He turned to the remaining members of his team and told them to start rigging the warehouse to blow while he dialed the number of the LAPD to call in an anonymous tip about the car. They immediately got to work. There was no time to lose. Stefan knew that as soon as Callen's team heard about the tip, they would be coming to the warehouse to capture him.

Stefan phoned in the tip and then found a good location in an adjacent building where he could watch the NCIS team arrive and be in position to blow the bomb and them up at just the right time. Rubbing his hands to ether in glee, he was looking forward to having his revenge soon and watching the people who had killed so many of his family die horribly.

~,~,~

Eric appeared at the top of the stairs and whistled for the team. "We have a new lead. The LAPD got an anonymous tip about the caddy and we were able to verify that it is currently parked at the address I just sent to your smart phones." He then turned and went back into OPS. The team, led by Callen, moved like a well-oiled machine up to OPS and waited for Nell and Eric to fill them in.

"Two hours ago the LAPD sent us a tip about a sighting of the car; then an hour ago, Kaleidoscope picked up the car. It's the same car that tried to follow Kensi and Deeks yesterday. We've been watching to see where it ended up. It's been parked at the warehouse shown here on East Pico Blvd for a while now. Traffic cams show there have been people coming and going from the warehouse for several weeks. We're running facial recognition on all of them now to see if we get any additional hits. We've identified a couple of them so far." Eric began the briefing and put the pictures of the two identified people on the big scene.

Nell took over for Eric. "We haven't seen Stefan Badžo yet, but the two people that we've identified have been seen with him before, so we think he's using this location to plan his revenge. I'm sending their faces to your smart phones now."

Eric continued "We also found the original plans for the warehouse. I've sent them to your smart phones as well."

"Put them up on the plasma Mr. Beale. Let's see what the building looks like." Hetty directed.

Eric did as Hetty asked. "As you can see, we've found the main entrance here on Pico" he stated as he pointed it out. "There's another door in the back that faces on this alley that runs between Pico and East 14th Ave. Other than that, there are several more doors around the building including a big shipping door at the dock, but they look like they've been boarded up for years. The building hasn't been occupied in a long time, so there is no telling what shape it's in. As you can see, there is a second floor over part of the main floor where it looks like the offices used to be."

The team studied the plans while Callen thought of the best way they could search the warehouse safely. If Stefan was in there, he was probably planning something for their arrival. Callen had a gut feeling that this was a trap. After the team and Hetty discussed their options, Callen told the team to go to the armory to gear up then glanced quickly to Nell telling her with his eyes to meet him in the burn room. As soon as Nell saw his silent message, she excused herself from OPS for a few minutes and left the room.

"Mr. Callen, stay safe out there and watch out. This could very well be a trap." Hetty said as the others were leaving OPS.

"I know Hetty, I'm thinking the same thing, but we have to check it out. Besides we have the wonder twins here to be our eyes and ears. With them helping us, I'm sure we'll be fine."

"Just make sure you all come back in one piece, Mr. Callen."

~,~,~

Callen left OPS and followed Nell discretely to the burn room. Once he arrived, he noticed that she had moved into the one blind spot in the room. No one would be able to see anything from that area of it. Callen moved forward and took her in his arms for a heart-felt hug.

"You be careful out the G. I want you back with me as soon as possible."

"Anything for you Nell, you know that. I don't want you worrying about me."

"I'm going to worry anyway but I won't let it interfere with my job." Nell reached up and pulled his head down for a kiss, expressing all of her love through the pressure of their lips on each other.

Callen deepened the kiss returning the feelings. They then held each other for a few moments longer before putting a little distance between themselves.

"I miss you already Nell. I'll see you later today, okay?"

"You've got that right mister. And you'd better be in one piece!"

"Yes ma'am. I've got to get to the armory" he said with some regret.

"I know. And I've got to get back to OPS. You leave first."

"Okay Nell. Love you" With that, Callen walked out of the burn room and continued to the armory to meet his team.

~,~,~

Kensi, Deeks and Sam were ready to leave when Callen reached the armory. He gathered his things quickly. "Are we ready to roll?"

"Yes" was heard from all three. The team left the armory and made their way to the front of the Mission to say goodbye to Hetty before heading out.

"Mr. Callen, stay safe out there. That goes for the rest of you as well. Good luck." Hetty told them as they left the Mission.

The team parked a couple of blocks away from the warehouse and approached it on foot very carefully. If Stefan was in there, he wouldn't be easy to take down. And Callen was very aware it could be a trap; hell they all knew it, but they had to do their jobs to hopefully find Stefan and end this perverted game of revenge of his.

Callen began issuing directions. "Kensi, Deeks, take the back. Be careful, we don't know what we're walking into other than it's probably a trap so keep your eyes open. If you see anything suspicious, get the hell out and let us know. Sam, you and I will take the front."

The team split up into partners and proceeded to get in place to breech the warehouse. Unbeknownst to them, Stefan was watching them as they arrived and split up. He was almost panting with excitement. _"În cele din urmă, am de gând să se răzbune meu pe Callen și echipa sa. Eu nu pot aștepta până când sunt toți morți . Atunci pot merge după femeie Lange și termin ce am început."_

_~,~,~_

"Kensi, you ready?" Deeks was on one side of the back door with Kensi on the other side. He had his hand on the doorknob waiting for the 'go' order.

"Yep, let's do this partner."

Deeks turned the knob slowly and opened the door a few inches so they could scope out the space on the other side before entering. Everything looked clear, so they slipped into the warehouse and began clearing the areas one by one. Meanwhile Sam and Callen were doing the same thing from the front of the warehouse.

Deeks went right and Kensi went left. As they cleared each section of the warehouse, they could be heard over coms.

"Clear" Deeks declared as he cleared the first group of shelving on the right.

"Clear" came back Kensi as she did the same on the left.

They could hear Sam and Callen doing the same at the front of the warehouse.

~,~,~

Stefan watched as the team entered the building. Clutching the cell phone in his hand, he waited impatiently for the perfect time to detonate the bomb. He wanted them to be in the middle of the warehouse when he blew it up. He knew if he timed it just right, Callen's team wouldn't have a chance to escape. When he had given them what he thought was enough time, he smiled _"Ne vedem în iad Callen"_ then activated his cell phone. He heard the first distant explosion and was sure he had them. He began chuckling to himself as he continued hearing the explosions come from the warehouse.

~,~,~

As Callen and Sam continued clearing the front of the warehouse, Callen was getting frustrated. They weren't finding anything or anyone suspicious. His gut was in knots as his intuition about the whole situation grew and grew. _"Something is definitely off. It's too quiet in here. We should have seen or heard someone by now. It's a trap, I know it."_ Deciding it was time to get out of Dodge so to speak he called out to the team over coms "Everyone clear the building. Something is off here. I'm sure it's a trap. Move...move...move!"

He and Sam were running toward the front of the building when the first explosion went off. They sped toward the door they could see in the distance through the smoke that was beginning to build. The smoke was thickening rapidly and they could feel the old building shuddering as one explosion after another was heard. They burst through the front door just as the front of the warehouse slowly began collapsing in a shower of smoke, flame and flying debris. The concussive force of the explosions were pushing them both forward so they took shelter behind Sam's Charger as soon as they reached it. Looking at each other brought the realization that they were both bleeding from various cuts and contusions and covered in soot and debris. Callen had a small cut on his cheekbone while Sam had several small cuts and burns on his head.

"You look like crap" came identical statements from the partners in unison. Both of them began chuckling before realizing they hadn't heard from the other team.

Over coms, they heard Nell requesting status, repeatedly. Callen remembered how scared she had been when he got shot so hurried to reassure her that he and Sam were fine. "Sam and I are fine. We're out of the building with only a few cuts and scrapes. Have you heard anything from Deeks and Kensi?" he asked as Sam continued trying to reach the younger members of the team.

"No we haven't. We haven't seen them leave the building either, but with all the smoke, we may have missed them. We'll keep trying." Nell replied. "Be careful Callen."

"Always, Nell. I expect to see all of you later." Callen tried to convey his feelings to Nell without alerting Hetty.

"Kensi, Deeks! Are you okay?" Sam called again over coms. When he still didn't receive an answer, he and Callen exchanged worried looks. "Do you think they're trapped G?"

"I don't know Sam." he replied. "Deeks, Kensi! One of you answer or we're coming in after you! Are you okay? Come on answer me! Kensi! Deeks!"

~,~,~

AN: Translation of the Romanian:

Stefan: "Finally, I'm going to have my revenge on Callen and his team. I can't wait until they're all dead. Then I can go after the Lange woman and finish what I started." **and **"I'll see you in hell Callen."


	19. Chapter 19: Explosion's Aftermath

Why are Kensi and Deeks not answering? Are they okay? This chapter has some Densi in it. No Nallen, but they'll be make soon.

I only own my own characters which include Stefan Badžo in this story.

Anything in italics within single quotes is a quote from my one-shot "Can't Stay Away". Anything in italics and double quotes is thoughts.

Nope…no matter how hard I wish, NCIS LA nor any of the characters on the show are mine. And sadly, they never will be. I'm just borrowing them for a while.

Reviews are always welcome. If you are enjoying this story, especially this chapter, or even if you aren't, leave a review on your way out and tell me why.

Enjoy.

~,~,~

CHAPTER 19: Explosion's Aftermath

Sam and Callen were about to sprint for the back of the warehouse when they heard some static over coms. Next came a breathy voice "We're out, we're okay" followed by the sound of harsh coughing. Neither Sam nor G could tell who had spoken.

"What's your status?" Callen was really starting to worry since no further information had been received. "Come on, talk to me. Where are you two?"

"We're in…the…alley behind…the…warehouse." Kensi reported between continuing bouts of harsh coughing. "Deeks…took the brunt of…the explosion. I'm...worried about...him Callen. He says...he's fine but he's got...a bad head wound and…" Kensi was interrupted by Deeks before she could finish her sentence.

"Seriously...we both…took in some smoke, but…I'm fine" he rasped. He continued between his own bouts of coughing. "Fern here...hurt me more than...the explosion did. She's heavier...than she looks. She knocked the breath...right out of me...when she landed on top. Not...that I minded of course, I'll let her...be on top any day" He quipped while giving Kensi a smile that looked more like a grimace of pain.

"Shut up Deeks." Kensi snarled. "In your dreams, you...pervert." Kensi sucked in some deep breaths and coughed a few more times before she continued. "You do realize you're bleeding all over your shirt, right; and not just from your head either? I think you're more hurt than you realize. You're not fine. I can tell you're in pain so just shut it, okay?"

"Anything you say baby girl...anything you say." Deeks gave up trying to hide how he felt and leaned his head back against the wall trying to keep his breathing under control. He was positive his entire left side was at the very least bruised and several ribs felt cracked as well. He hadn't told Kensi, but he had also hit his head pretty hard when they landed on the ground leading to a killer headache which was getting worse by the moment. He currently rated it a 5 on the pain meter but he knew it was going to get a whole lot worse soon since he was pretty sure he had a concussion. He also couldn't see out of one eye because blood from his head wound kept getting in it.

Kensi was trying to staunch the flow of blood from his forehead, but wasn't having much luck. She knew head wounds bled like crazy, but she didn't like the fact that Deeks was getting paler by the minute. She could see other contusions, scrapes and lacerations that were also bleeding. He would whine about a paper cut, but let something really be wrong and he would just blow it off and say everything was fine. She smiled at him and brushed his hair back from his forehead while asking "Callen, call an ambulance, will you? Just to be on the safe side. Deeks is bleeding like a stuck pig from his head wound and from some shrapnel wounds on his arms and legs."

"I'm fine Fern. All I need is some bandaids." Before he could protest that he didn't need an ambulance, all four of them heard Hetty over coms.

"The ambulance is on its way for Mr. Deeks and the rest of you to be checked out."

"But Hetty, I'm fine, really." Deeks whined.

"You will be checked out at the hospital Mr. Deeks, is that clear? Or do I have to get my letter opener? I don't want to see you in OPS until you've been cleared by the doctor."

"Yes, Hetty." Deeks gave in with what grace he could muster. _"God that woman scares me. I still don't understand how she does it, but one look or word from her and I feel like a child again in the principal's office. And I know it's the same for all of us. She truly is the 'Duchess of Deception' only I would also add, she's a Mistress of Mayhem, a master spy, a lethal lady, a nasty ninja and Hetty the Hun all rolled up in a tiny terrifying package. And I'm too tired and sore to give her any of my usual lip. And here comes the drums on the inside of my skull, didn't I tell myself the pain would be getting worse? Shit!"_

Sam and Callen arrived in the alley behind the warehouse while Marty was still thinking of nicknames for Hetty. They took one look at Deeks, glanced at each other and nodded to Kensi, agreeing with her that he definitely wasn't 'fine'.

"Deeks, you still with us?" Sam was looking into Deeks eyes and was sure he definitely had a concussion. What other injuries he had would have to wait for the doctors."

"I'm okay Sam. I don't know what everyone is making such a fuss about" he grumbled.

"Maybe its because you're white as a sheet and you're bleeding from at least 10 places."

Hetty continued issuing orders "Getting cleared by a doctor goes for the rest of you as well. I expect each of you to do so before returning to work."

"But Hetty" came three identical whines.

"The warning I gave Mr. Deeks applies to the rest of you as well. Do I have to repeat myself?" They could almost feel Hetty's glare through the coms.

"No, Hetty." The three remaining members of the team looked at each other with disgust while Deeks' sat there and smirked to himself.

~,~,~

Stephan went into a rage when he saw Sam and Callen race from the building and run toward the alley behind it. _"Damn it! Does that man have an angel watching over him? Why can't he just die! I want him to die! He's got to die for killing my family. I'm not going to stop until one of us is dead." _Looking around, he didn't see the other two members of Callen's team. _"Maybe those two other agents are dead at least. I know that will hurt Callen. He'll feel the guilt and remorse over their deaths. Before I'm done, he's going to be begging me for death. This is just the beginning."_

He turned away and exited the building he had been watching from. He knew additional resources would be arriving soon to help Callen and he didn't want to be anywhere near this place when that happened.

As he left the area, he began thinking of other ways to achieve his goal.

~,~,~

Deeks continued leaning against the wall and thinking _"At least I'm not the only one going to get checked out, not this time. They don't look much better than I feel. Callen's face is bleeding and so is Sam's head. I'm not sure of Kens, but I'm positive she's plenty bruised. Man, we were flying out that door when everything exploded around us. I'm not sure how we survived that. God, my head is pounding, it already feels like 10 and it's getting worse by the minute! I know I have a concussion, but it isn't the first and probably won't be the last." _Marty decided he had been sitting around long enough. "_Come on man, quit lying around and get your butt up off the ground. It's not that bad, you know head wounds look worse than they are."_

He used his hands against the wall to steady himself as he stood up but would have gone down again in a graceless heap if Sam hadn't grabbed his arms to keep him on his feet and upright._ "Oops! Why is everything spinning? Come on Deeks, it can't be that bad! I must have stood up too fast and got a head rush, that's all. Come on man, take it slow and easy." _

Sam took a good long look at Deeks and didn't like what he was seeing. "Whoa there. Take it easy Deeks before you fall flat on your ass again. Like I said before, you're white as a ghost and that head wound looks nasty. Are you sure you should be standing up?"

"I'm fine Sam, quit fussing over me." he hissed. "You know how head wounds bleed. It's nothing." When Deeks was really hurt, he hated being fussed over. It made him feel like he wasn't good enough to be part of the team. It wasn't true, but sometimes his insecurities reared their ugly heads and made him question his own competency. "I'm okay, really. I just stood up too fast is all. Give me a minute and I'll be good to go."

Sam knew Deeks was trying to divert attention from himself, but didn't want to upset him by more questions. He and Deeks were getting closer since Siderov, but they were still learning things about each other. He really wasn't looking good and Sam was sure he was going to go down again real soon. He resolved to stay close just in case Deeks needed him before the ambulance arrived.

"Go where Deeks?" Kensi was glaring at him daring him to say anything other than going to the hospital. Deeks took one look at her and knew he had better not make so much as a single quip. She was in full-on protective mode at the moment. Besides, he knew he had already lost the battle with Hetty about going to the hospital, so just smiled at Kensi as he replied.

"To the hospital to get checked out of course. You did hear Hetty, didn't you? I don't want to get on the wrong side of her letter opener myself, but if you think you're up for it, go right ahead. I'll just do what she told me to…for once." He snickered at the look on not only Kensi's face, but Sam's and Callen's as well. Laughing slightly, he continued "She scares you just as much as she scares me, doesn't she?"

When no one answered him, he raised an eyebrow "Come on! Admit it. We're all a little afraid of her. She may be tinny… oops…I mean tiny, but she's a terror and she keeps us in line whether we like it or not." Deeks was beginning to feel like the world was a merry go round spinning at 100 mph with him on it. _"Whoa...I'm not feeling so good. Every time I move my head, I feel like part of it is being left behind and it takes minutes before it catches up with my body. Maybe I should have stayed down against the wall of the alley, but I don't want them thinking I can't handle myself. Come on asshole, pull yourself together! All you have to do is walk to the ambulance when it gets here. How hard is that?"_ He was feeling decidedly light-headed now, but kept his mouth shut because he didn't want Kensi worrying about him or teasing him. He wasn't in any shape to handle either option at the moment.

"That she does" Callen agreed. He took another good look at Deeks and silently urged the ambulance to get there and fast. Deeks looked like he was going to pass out at any minute so Callen casually moved a little closer to him just in case.

~,~,~

The ambulance arriving was a welcome sound to all four agents. It stopped at the end of the alley with the paramedics climbing out of the front. "Someone here need an ambulance?" one of them asked. The team began walking toward it as Callen nodded his head and called out "Yes, we do."

Sam had grabbed hold of one of Deeks' arms trying to keep him upright as he walked drunkenly toward the paramedics getting their equipment out. About half way there, Deeks' knees gave out on him without warning and down he went. The only thing that kept him from sprawling out on the ground in a graceless heap and hitting his head…again…was Sam keeping hold of one arm and Callen grabbing his other arm to gently guide him down to a sitting position.

"Shorry…I mean sorry…guys, din know that was gonna happen. I guess I'm getting a lil wobbly." Deeks was beginning to slur his words while he continued to get even paler.

"No shit Deeks. You look like hell. You're so white you're practically glowing. You do realize your head's still bleeding don't you?" Callen inquired.

"Really? I thought it….ow!" Deeks put his hand to his head and looked surprised when he pulled it back covered with blood. He sounded drunk as he continued talking while staring at his hand. "Ahhh, wow…ummm…guess I don look s'good. 'M headsss…killing me." He looked confused and started trying to stand up again, but Callen and Sam were holding him down.

"Le…mm…up. M..okay." Deeks struggled ineffectively against Callen and Sam trying to regain his feet.

"No you're not okay, you idiot. Just stay there Deeks, okay?" Kensi was staring into his eyes as she spoke and could tell he wasn't all there at the moment. "Let the paramedics take care of you, please."

"Mmm not n id…id…dumb, Fern. But kay, I…cn do tha…" he grinned up at her not realizing he was almost cross-eyed. "You're mmy wndrwoman,…you've got gor…gor…pretty eyes, and take such g…good care of me."

Kensi was really beginning to worry. His face was ashen now and it was getting harder to understand him the longer he sat there. She knew he had a concussion by looking in his eyes, and thought maybe he was also slipping into shock. She knew how dangerous that could be. She looked at Sam and Callen in hopes they would reassure her that Deeks would be fine, but all she saw were two more worried looks.

~,~,~


	20. Chapter 20: Deeks' Turn

Now Deeks is hurt. How badly? Some more Densi in this chapter.

I only own my own characters which include Stefan Badžo in this story.

Anything in italics within single quotes is a quote from my one-shot "Can't Stay Away". Anything in italics and double quotes is thoughts.

Nope…no matter how hard I wish, NCIS LA nor any of the characters on the show are mine. And sadly, they never will be.

A huge shout-out to all of my loyal reviewers. You know who you are and I appreciate every one of your reviews. Real life medical issues have knocked me on my tush so I'm behind in replying to many of you but I will get caught up soon. My minions are delighted that more people are following and leaving reviews. They're doing a happy dance in front of their den.

Reviews are always welcome. If you are enjoying this story, especially this chapter, please leave a review on your way out and tell me why.

Enjoy.

~,~,~

CHAPTER 20: Deeks' Turn

Kensi kept her hand on Marty's arm, softly rubbing it, and smiling at him until the paramedics had the gurney ready to take him. The paramedics had Sam and Callen help transfer him to the gurney they had brought out of the ambulance, then began getting his vitals and asking what had happened. One of them continued looking after Deeks with Kensi right beside him watching everything he did, while his partner checked out Sam and Callen before checking out Kensi as she stood by Deeks. As soon as they were all checked out, they were told they should also be seen by a doctor.

"We've already been informed by our boss to get checked at the hospital." Callen answered for all three of them.

The paramedic working on Deeks asked. "Sir, do you know what happened to you?"

"Sss…Marty…call me Marty. Splosion…Fern…she landed on top…heavy, sooo heavy…liked it though…like her." Deeks was mumbling now and his eyes were closed, but he had a small smile on his face. Kensi blushed bright red when she heard him say he liked her, hoping no one would notice.

"Are you dizzy? Do you have a headache?"

"Ummm…yeah…both" The paramedic then pried one of his eyes open and shined a penlight in it causing Deeks to jerk back and try to bat his hand away while screwing his eyes tightly shut. "Don do thhhat…Hurz. Oh...umm...mmm gnna be sick."

Kensi helped him turn to the side as he lost everything he had in his stomach. The paramedics looked at each other and nodded their heads. Deeks definitely had a concussion and they could also tell he had lost some blood, possibly enough to require a transfusion. His shirt was saturated with it and they could see several areas of his jeans that were bloody as well, with several of the contusions still oozing blood. They completed their initial examination and loaded him into the ambulance while bandaging the numerous cuts on his body. By this time, several other NCIS teams were on site and Callen gladly turned authority over to them to work with the police to see what evidence could be found in the debris.

"Kensi, ride with Deeks. Sam and I will follow you so we can all be checked out."

Sam and Callen left to return to Sam's car while Kensi climbed into the back of the ambulance with Marty. The paramedic started an IV on Marty and took another set of vitals to call into the hospital. Kensi reached over and brushed his hair out of his eyes and then took his hand in hers. She sat there quietly talking to him as the ambulance sped on its way.

"You're going to be fine Deeks. You might even get to come home tonight. I'll take such good care of you." she whispered to Marty.

"I know you will Fern. You always do." Marty whispered back.

When the ambulance arrived at the hospital, Marty was wheeled into one room while Kensi was directed to another to be checked out. She parted from Marty reluctantly but was determined to get back to him as soon as possible.

~,~,~

Kensi was checked out by a doctor in the emergency room before she headed toward where Marty was being examined. The closer she got, the more she could hear him complaining about being cold and wanting to go home. She slipped into the exam room and took a position by his side noticing he still had his eyes closed. At least he looked a little better than he had. He was getting a blood transfusion while also receiving additional fluids through the IV that had been started by the paramedics. His head wound had been stitched up and the other lacerations had been bandaged. Kensi checked out the stitches in his forehead and saw the cut had taken seven stitches to close. The wound was right at his hairline. She reached over and placed a light kiss on his forehead which resulted in a smile and a moan of appreciation from him.

She then took one of his hands in hers and brushed his hair away from his face again with the other which caused him to look over at her and smile again as he looked at the woman he loved more than life itself. "Hey Kens. You good?" he whispered.

"I'm fine…I mean good, Deeks, just some bruising and a couple of scrapes. You got the worst of it. Are you good?"

Deeks looked at her and then looked down at his hands trying to gather his courage to ask her to stay with him so he could go home. He knew he was taking a chance, because it would be the first time since she came back that Hetty would know she was staying with him, that is if he could convince her to take the chance. He didn't want to stay in the hospital but the doctor wouldn't release him if he lived alone. "I'm good but they say I have to spend the night. I don't want to stay. Can't you talk to them and get them to let me go home if someone watches me? The concussion isn't too bad."

"I'll ask. I can stay with you tonight so you can sleep in your own bed if they'll go for it. Would that be all right?" she smirked.

He looked at her and grinned. "I'd really like that. I really don't want to stay here. Maybe we can get some ice cream and watch some cheesy TV?"

"You're on Deeks. That sounds like a plan. Let me ask the doctor and then we'll get out of here."

"You'll have to put those plans on hold Miss Blye. Mr Deeks will be spending the night here, I'm afraid" Hetty stated.

"God Hetty, how do you do that? You about scared the life out of me!" Deeks closed his eyes tightly when his head started hammering again.

"I'm sorry Mr. Deeks. I didn't mean to startle you. I know you don't want to be here but you're in a lot more pain than you want to admit." Hetty patted him arm and looked at him with sympathy. "The doctor wants to keep you here overnight in case you need another transfusion. Miss Blye can pick you up in the morning and take you home. Come along Miss Blye. Let's give Mr. Deeks a chance to get some rest."

Hetty ushered Kensi out of the room without giving her a chance to try and talk her into letting her stay with Marty.

"Bye Deeks. I'll see you tomorrow." was all she was able to say before she was out of the room with Hetty. She had wanted to say more, but knew it would just give Hetty information she didn't need to know.

"Bye Kens. See you too." Marty gave going home up as a lost cause and closed his eyes to try to find some relief from the pounding in his head. He was asleep almost immediately.

Hetty escorted Kensi to where Sam and Callen were almost done being checked out. Once she had them all together she ordered them all home for the night. "Go home and rest! We'll get a fresh start in the morning. You're all running on fumes right now."

All three of them said goodnight and headed their separate ways. Kensi sent a quick text to Marty that read "Sorry Hetty spoiled our plans. I've been given official orders to come pick you up in the morning and take you home. See you then. xoxoxo". When she didn't receive an immediate reply she knew Deeks must have fallen asleep. Although disappointed in not getting a reply, she knew he needed the rest. He had been trying to hide a lot of the pain he was feeling from her and she knew the sleep would do him a world of good.

As soon as Callen was dropped off at home by Sam, he texted Nell to see if she would come over and spend the night. The return text had one word in it. 'Coming'.

~,~,~

Callen pulled out some sandwich fixings and made a salad so he and Nell could eat together when she got there. He couldn't wait to hold her in his arms again. It had been a hell of a day and he needed the physical contact with Nell to relax. Otherwise, he knew he wouldn't be able to sleep. As he waited for Nell, he thought about how much his life had changed for the better since he had taken the chance and told her how he felt.

Nell arrived about thirty minutes after Callen and immediately walked into his arms so that they could hug. They stood in the front room enjoying the feeling of being wrapped up in each other's arms for several minutes before Callen remembered the light supper he had made.

"Come on Nell, I made us a light supper. Let's eat and then I want you in my bed with me. I plan on taking shameless advantage of you before sleeping."

"Sounds like exactly what I was hoping for G."

~,~,~

Deeks was sitting in the chair in his hospital room waiting impatiently for his discharge papers to be completed when Kensi arrived.

"Fern, get me out of here, please" he looked at her with a slight pout on his face. "I'm fine, I want to go home and change and then get back to work." The look on his face always made Kensi think of a small boy trying to wheedle his mother into getting his own way. She adored it, but would never tell him. He used it enough as it was without knowing how much she liked it.

"Be patient, Sweet Cheeks. The papers will be here soon."

"Sweet Cheeks? You think my cheeks are sweet, huh?" Now he was looking at her with his eyebrows raised and that look on his face like he was about ready to come up with some quip that would embarrass her.

"Don't even go…that's not…you know what…shut up Marty!"

"I didn't say anything" he chuckled as he grinned at her. "Besides, I know Hetty is at the Mission, so we don't have to be so careful." He continued grinning at her. _"Got her again! God, I love it when I get the best of her. She's so cute when she gets flustered."_

"Keep it up and I'll leave you here to find your own way home." Kensi retorted while giving him a fake glare and turning like she was going to walk out of the room

"Kensi, come on, don't be like that…Fern…baby girl?" Deeks was in full-on quip mode. "Okay…okay! I'm stopping. Please take me home. I'll let you have your wicked way with me."

The nurse arrived with Marty's discharge papers before Kensi could think of anything to say. The nurse was pushing a wheelchair in front of her. Before Marty could open his mouth to complain about having to use it, Kensi put her hands on her hips, glared at him and dared him to say something "Not one more word, unless you want to walk home mister!"

Figuring he had pushed enough of her buttons, Marty climbed into wheelchair without saying a word and gave her his sweetest smile along with his puppy dog look. He didn't use it often, but he knew it was effective when he did. He was hoping it would do the trick and keep her from punching him. Kensi smiled back because she knew he was apologizing in his own inimitable way for teasing her. It's what they did, at least away from the office.

~,~,~


	21. Chapter 21: Nell Tells Eric

Nell finally comes clean with Eric about her relationship with Callen. How will he take it?

I only own my own characters which include Stefan Badžo in this story.

Anything in italics within single quotes is a quote from my one-shot "Can't Stay Away". Anything in italics and double quotes is thoughts.

Nope…no matter how hard I wish, NCIS LA nor any of the characters on the show are mine. And sadly, they never will be.

Reviews are always welcome. If you are enjoying this story, especially this chapter, or even if you're not, leave a review on the way out and tell me why.

Enjoy.

~,~,~

CHAPTER 21: Nell Tells Eric

Nell woke to the smell of coffee early the next morning. Looking over to the other side of the bed, she knew she would find it empty. She grabbed her robe and quickly washed her face before joining Callen in the kitchen.

"Morning G. That coffee smells wonderful."

"Here's your cup milady. Just the way you like it." Callen handed Nell her coffee, grabbed his own and they went into the living room to enjoy it before starting their day. As they sat there, Callen noticed that Nell was bothered aout something but he had no idea what it was. Deciding to take the bull by the horns, so to speak, he asked her "What's on your mind little spider?"

Heaving a sigh, Nell took a couple of minutes to think about what she was going to do, then proceeded to tell G in hopes that he could help her with her approach.

"I'm going to tell Eric about our relationship today. He knows something is going on and I don't think it's fair to him not to tell him. I don't want him thinking there is a chance for a relationship between us. I love him like a brother and he's my best friend. I don't want to keep him in the dark about us any longer. Are you okay with me telling him?"

"Well, I don't want our relationship to become common knowledge around the office, but you're right. Eric deserves to know. And if you ask him, he'll keep it to himself. I trust him, he's part of our team. Are you worried about how he'll take it?"

"Yeah, I am. I hope we can still be friends and work together but I am worried."

"Don't be Nell. I know you'll handle it brilliantly and everything will turn out okay." Callen reached over and gave her a hug and a kiss before taking another drink of his coffee. We'd better get going or Sam is going to find us still in our PJs. He's driving me into work today. Let me know how it goes with Eric."

"I will G. Thanks for the pep talk.

"Any time little spider, any time."

~,~,~

Callen and Sam were already at the Mission when Kensi went to pick Deeks up from the hospital. She was taking him home to clean up before they both reported to work.

Nell and Eric were up in OPS going over what they knew so far hoping to find something, anything, that might lead them to some additional information when Eric turned to her and asked the question he had been trying to get up the courage to ask for several days. After several minutes of nervously trying to think of what to say, he finally just blurted out his question.

"Nell, are you and Callen seeing each other?"

Nell looked at Eric and was glad he had brought up the subject. She had been sitting there trying to figure out how to broach that same subject for some time without any success. As she had told Callen, it was time to come clean with him about their relationship. "Yes, we are. We've been seeing each other for several months now, since the run-in with Inman in fact. We didn't want anyone to know, so we haven't told anyone officially. Sam knows because he saw us together. And I'm pretty sure Hetty knows, because, well she's Hetty. But Callen and I are not going to tell her officially. Not with the way she treated Kensi and Deeks. Will you keep this to yourself?"

"Of course I will. You don't even have to ask. Okay. Umm, okay. So, I can assume you aren't interested in me that way, right?" Eric asked.

Nell couldn't decipher the look on Eric's face. It didn't look sad or glad, but it wasn't stoic either. She also noticed a slight twinkle in his eyes like he had a secret of his own to share.

"Eric, you'll always be my best friend…more than that, really. I…I feel like we're closer than that, siblings or more like twins, maybe. You've always been there for me. I love working with you and I cherish our friendship, maybe more than you realize. I don't want to lose our closeness or friendship, but I've come to realize that I'm not sexually attracted to you. I'm so sorry if I hurt you or led you on in any way."

"No, no, that's okay, that's not what I meant. Umm…I…uh…I've been seeing someone too but I just wasn't sure how to tell you." He blurted it out before he lost his courage and then waited to see what she would say.

Nell felt her knees go weak with relief and her face lit up in a huge grin. "You are? Oh…that's...that's great! Who is she…is she good enough for you?" Nell wanted to hear all about Eric's girlfriend. She might only be his friend and work partner but she was very protective of him. "She'd better not hurt you, or she'll have to deal with me."

Eric looked at Nell and began smiling in turn. "So, you're determined to defend my honor then, if she hurts me?"

"You better believe it buddy. We're a team. So spill. I want details."

Eric had a huge grin of his face at Nell's words. "Well, I met her a couple of months ago online in one of my gaming chat rooms. We got on really well online so decided to take a chance and meet. We met for coffee and ended up talking for hours. We both had so much fun getting to know each other and finding out how much we have in common that we decided to go on an actual date. It's progressed from there. We see each other a couple times a week now. She knows what I do, in general terms only, so I don't have to lie to her. She just doesn't know where I work or for who and she's okay with that. We're taking it slow though because neither one of us is in a hurry and we want to be sure about each other. I really like her Nell. She reminds me a little of you, but she likes a lot of the same things I do. She even surfs!"

"You did let Hetty know right? She needs to be checked out if you think you're getting serious due due to your security clearance. At least you won't have to worry about her separating the two of you because you don't work together."

"Yes, I told Hetty. I also told her I didn't want to be the one to check her out. Hetty said she'd do it and let me know if she found anything. She hasn't said anything so far, so I guess Becca checked out okay." Eric's face showed how relieved he was that he hadn't heard anything bad about Becca from Hetty.

Nell could tell that Eric was excited about Becca which made her very happy for him. She had been so afraid of breaking his heart when she told him she was seeing Callen and to find out that he felt the same way about her as she did about him made her feel like a ton of bricks had just been lifted off of her shoulders. Then to find out that he had found someone else that he was madly in love with gave her a huge sense of relief. He might not know it yet, but Nell was sure he was completely head over hells in love with this Becca person. She had been serious when she told Eric Becca better not hurt him or she would have Nell to deal with. She was happy for him just like she had told him. She reached over and gave him a big hug.

"Maybe we can double-date some time" She mentioned.

"I'm not sure. Do you think Callen would want to do that?" Eric would never admit it to Nell but sometimes Callen intimidated him.

"Leave that to me Eric. Besides I know he won't mind. He thinks of you as part of the team and a member of his little family. We'll talk more after this case is over. We should probably get back to work."

"Yeah, I really want to find another lead on this case, but I'm not having any luck" Eric groused.

"Me neither, Eric."

~,~,~

Kensi unlocked Marty's front door with her key and lead the way into his apartment. "Go take a shower, Marty. I'll wait here."

"Care to join me?" he gave her a lustful look.

"We don't have time lover boy. Just get in the shower."

"You're no fun Fern, you know that?" Marty turned and padded down the hallway into the bathroom.

As soon as he was in the shower, she followed him into the bathroom and sat down on the toilet seat. She could see his silhouette through the shower door and sat there appreciating the view. She was ready to hand him the towel as soon as he was finished. She wrapped it around his hips and then leaned in for a kiss. "That's going to have to be enough until tonight, Marty" she whispered as she turned and left the room.

"_Damn it. Too bad we don't have the time for me to show her just how much I love her"_ Marty grumbled as he got dressed then joined her in the kitchen where she had made a pot of coffee. She already had their travel mugs filled with a second cup for each of them to drink on their way into the office. When they arrived at work, Deeks could see that both Callen and Sam had a couple of bandages on their worst scrapes and both of them were stiff and sore by the way they were carrying themselves.

"You feeling better Deeks? You had us worried there for a while." Sam was looking him over very carefully.

"Yeah, I'm feeling a lot better. Got a little replacement blood and some fluids in me last night. I wanted to go home but Hetty put a stop to that idea. Kensi had even reluctantly agreed to stay the night to watch over me. I have a slight headache, this morning but nothing like it was last night."

"Are you sure you should be working today?" Callen asked.

"I'm fine Callen. I got a good night's sleep, even if it was in the hospital, and I'm good to go." Marty was hoping neither Sam nor Callen would say anything about some of the things he remembered saying when he was half out of it from blood loss. It was bad enough he remembered how loopy he was. _"I sounded drunk for God's sake. I'm surprised Kens didn't gage me when I blurted out that she was beautiful and I liked her. I really can't believe she didn't punch me when I said she could be on top any time! I must have looked pretty bad. It's a damn good thing Hetty didn't hear me. Or did she? Aw, shit; I hope not. Well, if she did, I can only hope she decided it meant nothing because of the concussion. I don't want her to have any suspicions about Kensi and I. It's none of her damn business anyway."_

Callen was getting ready to tease their very own liaison officer about some of the things he had said the previous day when Sam grabbed his arm "We're out of here. We have a date in the gym. Call us if there's any news from upstairs." Sam almost pushed Callen out of the room and Marty could hear Callen asking why he had done that. He would have to thank Sam for the save.

~,~,~

"What was that for? I wanted to say something to Deeks." Callen protested as Sam kept pushing him toward the gym.

"He doesn't need your teasing right now G. Can't you see his headache is worse that he's letting on? I know he's good to go, but he doesn't need to get riled up by you." Sometimes Sam thought Callen was blind as a bat when it came to other people.

"Oh, yeah I guess you're right." Callen admitted. He decided he'd talk to Nell about it when he got the chance.

~,~,~


	22. Chapter 22: Chinese and Love

We're coming to the end of another story. Only two more chapters after this one. I hope you're enjoying reading it as much as I've enjoyed writing it. Again I'm sorry this is late but my medical issues are currently kicking my butt big time leaving me extremely tired.

Nell and Callen spend the evening eating Chinese and making love. WARNING: This chapter is M rated so be warned if you don't like love scenes.

I only own my own characters which include Stefan Badžo in this story.

Anything in italics within single quotes is a quote from my one-shot "Can't Stay Away". Anything in italics and double quotes is thoughts.

Nope…no matter how hard I wish, NCIS LA nor any of the characters on the show are mine. And sadly, they never will be.

Reviews are always welcome. If you are enjoying this story, please leave a review on the way out and tell me why.

Enjoy.

~,~,~

CHAPTER 22: Chinese and Love

The entire day was spent trying to find some new leads on Stefan, both on the part of the agents and by the wonder twins in OPS but once again they weren't having any luck. Late that evening, Callen walked to his desk from the gun range to grab his car keys in preparation for going home and saw Nell waiting for him.

"Hey, Nell. What are you still doing here?"

"Waiting for you Callen." She walked up to him and put her arms around his waist before looking up at him and continuing "Come home with me to my place tonight, please."

"Should you be doing that here? What if Hetty sees us?"

"She's already left. I made sure of it before I came down to wait. I also made sure that she isn't logged into her computer from her home."

"Sure, I can do that. Are you ready, little spider?" he inquired as he gave her a quick kiss on the lips.

"Yes, I am. I have big plans for you tonight." She smirked at him as he helped her into her jacket.

"You do huh. I can't wait."

~,~,~

They walked out into the parking garage with their arms around each other. Once at their respective cars, Callen opened Nell's door for her and told her he would follow her home.

When they walked into Nell's apartment, she removed her jacket and put both her's and Callen's in her hall closet. She then ordered some Chinese take out, turned to Callen for another kiss and then began issuing orders. "Get out of those clothes and take a shower while I wait for the food. You'll feel better once you've relaxed under the hot water. I know you're stiff and sore and I can feel how tense all your muscles are."

"Yes ma'am" he saluted her just before he smacked her on the butt as he passed her going toward the bathroom. "Your wish is my command."

"You'll be sorry you did that G" she yelled after him as she contemplated how she would retaliate.

Callen was still in the shower when the food arrived. Nell quickly paid for it, set it on her kitchen counter and then decided to join Callen since he was still in the shower. She stripped quickly then snuck quietly into the bathroom to find him standing under the hot water with his head against the wall and his eyes closed. Giggling under her breath, she slipped in behind him giving his butt two good smacks before he knew what was happening.

"Ouch! that hurt. What's that for?" Callen groused as he began to turn around.

"That's payback for earlier. I told you you'd be sorry."

When Callen was fully turned around Nell was there in front of him clothed only in her skin. His eyes darkened with passion and he kissed her with everything he had. They explored each others bodies with their hands and tongues before Callen picked her up and carried her into the bedroom. Laying down a towel, they made love with each other desperately before climaxing together. Afterward, they lay tangled up in each other's arms discussing the situation with Badžo. The case was at a stand-still once again. They hadn't heard anything from him since he tried to blow them all up at the warehouse.

"_Thank God no one was hurt badly. Deeks seemed to get the worst of it and he's fine; a minor concussion and of course the head wound and scrapes that bled like crazy."_ Nell snuggled closer to G and lay with her arms around him and her head tucked under his chin.

"Penny for your thoughts, little spider" Callen whispered in her ear. He could tell she was thinking over everything that had happened during the case. He hated the fact that he had worried her twice now. _"She is so much stronger than anyone gives her credit for. It's what attracted me to her in the first place. She's so much like a younger version of Hetty. She may be small, but she carries so much strength, intelligence and talent in her small body."_ He hugged her to him _"I never want to lose her. She's everything I didn't even realize I was looking for. She completes me and makes me realize she's my future; my family along with Sam, Kensi, Deeks, Eric, Nate and Hetty. I never thought I would feel a part of something bigger than myself in such a personal way."_

Nell reached up and took his face in her hands and kissed him "I'm thinking that here we are in bed and that we can do anything we want to…as often as we want to." She started sliding her hands up and down his arms again before beginning to caress his chest with one hand while placing butterfly soft kisses on the scars from where he had been shot several years ago.

Callen gave a small gasp as he felt her lips on his scars. He ran his fingers through her hair and then cupped her face and captured her lips once again. "What do you want to do, little spider? I can think of a lot more things I'd like to do with you right now." His blue eyes were dark and stormy with increasing passion and Nell could tell he was close to losing control again, which would be just fine with her, but neither one of them had eaten anything since that morning and they'd already had one epic round of love-making. She knew if they gave in again now, they wouldn't eat anything that evening either.

"Mmmm, sounds like a wonderful plan G" Nell continued caressing him.

As Nell was contemplating missing dinner anyway, a loud rumble emanated from Callen's stomach. Nell began laughing and couldn't stop. For some reason, it struck her as funny and the look on Callen's face as she laughed caused her to continue giggling and laughing. Before long Callen joined in and they were both red-faced before they could get themselves back under control.

"I'm afraid your grand plan is going to have to wait" she giggled. "The foods getting cold and I know you're hungry G. I can tell by all that noise I'm hearing from your stomach. I think your stomach thinks your throat's been cut." Nell snickered again.

"Yeah, I am. But I'm not done with you yet, little spider."

She grinned at Callen and continued "We're going to need our strength if we continue doing what you want to do. You're insatiable, G!"

"No, not insatiable, Nell. Just totally, completely and irreversibly in love with you. I'll love you forever, Nell. And then I'll continue loving you after that. You came into my life and turned it completely upside down and inside out. You've made me the happiest man in the world and I plan to spend the rest of my life showing you how much you mean to me." Nell felt a flush begin creeping up into her face from her neck, but didn't care. The words Callen was speaking to her filled her heart and made it overflow with joy.

Giving him another kiss, she hopped out of bed, grabbed his hands and began pulling him toward the edge of the bed. "Come on G. The sooner we eat, the sooner we can get back to dessert" she smirked.

"I'm coming, I'm coming. You're awfully bossy, did you know that Nell?"

"Bossy! Just who are you calling bossy, G?" Nell began tickling his ribs causing him to squirm away from her. "Are you ticklish G?" He tried to deny it, but kept squirming trying to get away from her fingers. "You are! Oooh, good to know"

"Just wait until I catch you Nell, you're going to be begging me to stop tickling you."

"Promises, promises!" Nell called over her shoulder as she ran for the kitchen with Callen right behind her. Callen chased her all the way down the hall into the kitchen where he cornered her and got her back. He tickled her until she was laughing so hard she was ready to collapse.

"Enough, enough G! You're going to make me pee myself and since we're both naked, it would end up all over the floor!" Nell was giggling and her face was completely red as she confessed being in danger of losing control of her bladder.

Callen began roaring with laughter at the look on Nell's face. "Okay, I'll take pity on you. I wouldn't want you making a puddle on the floor. But just remember, two can play this game little spider."

"Okay G, I give up. You're the winner…this time at least." Nell continued chuckling at the situation, but then had to have the last word. "So now that we're in the kitchen, are you going to feed me the food I ordered and paid for?"

"Oh how I love being a kept man!"

~,~,~

They ate their food right out of the cartons, looking at each other with hunger for something else in their eyes. Nell had gotten all of their favorites so they took turns choosing which carton to eat from. As soon as they finished eating, Nell put the leftovers away while Callen cleaned the counter they had eaten at. He had just thrown the last of the garbage away when a small hand reached around him and began massaging his erection. "Nell, can't get enough of this body, can you." He turned around to look at her and soon realized how aroused both of them were.

"Nope, I can't" she said popping the 'p'. I wanted to see if you're up for a second session. And by the look and feel of things, big boy, you are." she purred as she continued using both hands; one to rub along his erection with the other teasing the tip.

"Um, Nell; as much as I'm enjoying this, if you keep it up I'm not going to last long." Callen could feel himself losing control as Nell kept working him.

"Just go with the flow, G. You can make it up to me later." Nell kissed the tip of his erection and then took him into her mouth, lavishing attention on his head while continuing to rub the underside of his penis. As she began taking more of him into her mouth, he placed his hands on her head and encouraged her. It wasn't long before he saw stars as he exploded down her throat.

When he finally gained control of himself, he growled "My turn" as he lifted Nell up to the counter and spread her thighs. He took his time teasing her until she was almost out of control before making love to her like she had to him. Before he let her climax, he had her moaning and whimpering with desire. Nell screamed his name as she came, becoming almost boneless as he pulled her to him to cuddle her. "Let's take this back into the bedroom shall we, little spider? I can think of a lot more things I want to do with you" he whispered hoarsely.

"Sounds like a plan, G" Nell whispered as she continued trying to regain control of herself.

~,~,~


	23. Chapter 23: Stefan's Stake Out

Happy New Year to all my readers! Only one more chapter to go after this one.

Uh oh. Stefan's thinking he's missed something important in his quest to kill Callen. What is he going to come up with next and what will it mean for the NCIS LA team, especially Callen and Nell?

I only own my own characters which include Stefan Badžo in this story.

Anything in italics within single quotes is a quote from my one-shot "Can't Stay Away". Anything in italics and double quotes is thoughts.

Nope…no matter how hard I wish, NCIS LA nor any of the characters on the show are mine. And sadly, they never will be.

Reviews are always welcome. If you are enjoying this story, leave a review on the way out and tell me why.

Enjoy.

~,~,~

CHAPTER 23: Stefan's Stake Out

Stefan returned to his backup location deep in thought. _"I'm missing something. Something that is very important, I know it. It's something to do with Callen. It will come to me, I'm sure and then I'll have my revenge." _

Deep in thought, he called the remaining members of his team together to try to come up with another plan to finally get rid of Callen once and for all. When they arrived, they spent a few minutes reviewing where they stood as far as manpower, resources and information. Stefan then took them back over everything that had happened since they entered the country. He invited feedback from all the men on what they thought should be done next. He was hoping that conducting the brainstorming session would lead to the information he knew he was missing. At least he hoped so.

After several hours, Stefan ordered some food be delivered and gave everyone a break to relax and eat. It was during the food break that Mark mentioned the house they had tried to search to see if it was Callen's.

"That's right. We never did find out for sure whether that house was Callen's did we?" Stefan mused.

"No we didn't boss. It's been eating at me every since then too. I feel like we're missing something."

"I've been feeling the same way Mark." Stefan realized the house was the missing component. "We need to recheck that house. Take a team and check out the house without getting caught. If you have to, stake it out and see if you can identify who comes and goes from there. Report back to me when you have something. I think...no I'm sure we missed something the last time we checked it out."

"Will do Stefan. I'll keep you informed of everything I find." Mark proceeded to gather the things he would need for the stakeout and left the group to do Stefan's bidding.

By the time he got set up for the stake-out, it was the middle of the night. He settled in hoping he would see who lived in the house the next morning. He wasn't looking forward to spending days trying to determine who lived there but if he had to, that is what he would do. He would do anything for his friend.

~,~,~

Mark cursed his luck on the first day of the stakeout. He saw no-one enter or leave the house. He was unaware that Callen had spent the night at Nell's with both of them reporting to work from her apartment. He spent all day watching the house and when darkness fell without anyone appearing around the house, he called Stefan.

"I need a break Stefan. I've been sitting here since last night and so far today no one has come or gone from the house. Do you want me to break in and look around?"

"No old friend, it might trip an alarm. I'll send one of the others to spell you for the evening. As soon as he gets there, get something to eat and sack out for the night. I need you back there by 7 am tomorrow morning."

It took several days before Mark was able to identify Callen as one of the people coming and going from the house. He didn't give up though because he knew Stefan was depending on him. The minute he recognized Callen, he waited for him to leave and then called Stefan with the good news. "Stefan, you were right. This is where G. Callen is staying. I was afraid to follow him because I didn't want him to spot me, but this is definitely where he lives. I think someone should continue watching the house to see if any patterns in his movements can be determined."

"This is great news Mark! I'll send someone over to relieve you right away so you can come see me this afternoon. We have plans to make."

Stefan was ecstatic! He had finally obtained the information about where G. Callen lived! It had taken a long time but now that his goal was finally in sight, all the time and money spent was well worth it. This time, there would be no mistakes. He would make sure of it. When they broke into Callen's house, he was determined to be the one to kill the last living Callen to complete the vendetta against his blood line. It would also be payment for the many Comescues Callen and his team had killed when they rescued their boss, that traitorous woman who had come to Romania posing as a member of his family.

So many things had already gone wrong trying to get to Callen and he had been in turn, angry, enraged and frustrated. First the sniper he hired to kill Sam had missed at the crash site, instead injuring Callen himself; then the two agents he sent men to follow were able to elude his men so he didn't find out where the office Callen worked at was. Even the bombing attempt hadn't caused as much mayhem as he had hoped it would; but this time, this time; he was determined to succeed. _"Se spune răzbunare este un fel de mâncare care este cel mai bine rece. Nu știu despre asta, dar am de gând să -l facă să sufere pentru foarte mult timp înainte de final, l omor. El va fi cerșit mă să îl lase să moară înainte de a am terminat cu el."_

When Mark arrived that afternoon, they began making plans for the assault on the house. When Mark mentioned that a woman had been with Callen, Stefan's eyes lit up. _"Oh, acest lucru va fi atât de bun. Voi face să vedeți în timp ce eu și oamenii mei să se distreze cu femeia lui. O vom lua în orice mod posibil în timp ce el este obligat sa ma uit neputincios. Atunci voi o iau trecut în timp ce el stă acolo în imposibilitatea de a face ceva ca eu încet o omoare. Acesta nu va face pentru ceea ce a făcut pentru familia mea, dar va fi un început. Am de gând să se bucure de distrugerea cineva pe care o iubește la fel ca el a distrus familia mea. Apoi, o dată l-am făcut să sufere prin care, voi începe pe el. Și eu voi lua timpul meu. El va fi implorându-mă pentru moarte înainte de a mă terminat cu el."_

He and Mark went over everything they knew so far and the plan they were putting together. Mark then went to the County offices to try and obtain the original blueprints of the house so they knew the layout. He had to bribe a clerk but he came back with the plans. While he and Mark continued planning the final assault, Stefan sent one of his other men to scope out the neighborhood and find out the best way to get into the house without being seen. He spent a week coming up with a plan before he felt confident enough to set a date for the final attempt at killing Callen.

During the entire time they were planning the assault, Stefan was hoping one of his men would be able to follow Callen back to where he worked, but they were unable to do so. If he hadn't known where Callen lived, he would have been very upset, but since he did, knowing where he worked wasn't as important anymore.

~,~,~

The night of the assault was cold and clear. There was a crescent moon in the night sky which provided some light to see by but not enough to expose his team to too much risk of being seen. Mark had told Stefan that the woman in the house was alone at the moment, but he was sure Callen would be arriving before too long. He usually was no later arriving than an hour after the woman in all the days the team had watched their movements.

Stefan, along with the five men of his team moved silently through the night toward Callen's home. They could see lights on in one of the rooms as they were approaching. Taking this for a good sign, Stefan posted two men at the front of the house while the other two men accompanied him to the back. His plan was to enter the house as far away from the lights as possible. He wanted to be able to sneak up and capture the woman. Then all he had to do was wait for Callen to arrive to finally get his revenge. He was looking forward to making the woman and him suffer for as long as possible while sending videos to Callen's team. They would be helpless to do anything and if by chance, they came around, so much the better. He might get the chance to kill them all before he was through.

Reaching the back of the house, he saw he was in luck. There was a door into what looked like the kitchen. Motioning for his men to take up guard positions, he pulled out his picklock kit and went to work on the door. Stefan was sure the woman didn't have a clue about what was about to happen to her. Stefan licked his lips in anticipation when he heard the lock on the door disengage.

~,~,~

AN: The translation of the Romanian:

"It's said revenge is a dish that is best served cold. I don't know about that, but I'm going to make him suffer for a very long time before I finally kill him. He's going to be begging me to let him die before I'm done with him." **and**

"Oh this is going to be so good. I'll make him watch while I and my men have fun with his woman. We'll take her in every way possible while he is forced to watch helplessly. Then I'll take her last while he sits there unable to do anything as I slowly kill her. It won't make up for what he did to my family, but it will be a start. I'm going to enjoy destroying someone he loves just like he destroyed my family. Then once I've made him suffer through that, I'll start on him. And I'll take my time. He will be begging me for death before I'm through with him."


	24. Chapter 24: Last Attempt

We have come again to the end of another story. The is the last chapter. Reviews are always welcome. If you have enjoyed this story, especially this chapter, leave me a review on the way out and tell me why.

Nell is in danger, but from who? Will she be able to take care of herself until backup arrives?

I only own my own characters which include Stefan Badžo and Mark Anderson in this story.

Anything in italics within single quotes is a quote from my one-shot "Can't Stay Away". Anything in italics and double quotes is thoughts.

Nope…no matter how hard I wish, NCIS LA nor any of the characters on the show are mine. And sadly, they never will be. I'm putting them back in as good condition as they were in when I borrowed them as I promised.

Enjoy.

~,~,~

CHAPTER 24: Last Attempt

The team had spent the previous week trying to find Stefan but had come up empty. It was like he had vanished in a puff of smoke. Everyone was frustrated and tense. When tempers began to fray, Hetty stepped in.

"Go home! You're all burnt out. Take the evening off and do something fun. We'll get a fresh start in the morning." Saying that she sent everyone home for a well-deserved night off while reminding everyone to stay vigilant. No one had to be told twice. Sam and Callen were out the door to check out one final lead before separating for the night when Sam going home to spend some time with his family after dropping Callen off at his house. Eric disappeared soon after. Kensi and Deeks were the next ones to leave with Nell leaving right after they did.

~,~,~

Nell and Callen had decided that tonight they would stay at his place so she drove to Callen's and took a long hot shower as soon as she was in the door. She was in Callen's bedroom getting dressed after her shower while waiting for Callen to get home when he called. He told her the lead hadn't panned out and asked if she wanted him to bring takeout for dinner. When she said yes, he told her Sam would drop him off in about 30 minutes, right after he picked up some Thai.

She finished getting dressed and sat down, soon engrossed in a mystery she had wanted to read for ages. She had been reading for about 15 minutes when she heard a noise from the back of the house. She put the book down to listen more carefully unsure of what the sound had been. At first she thought it was the wind whipping the bushes against the outside of the house since the Santa Ana's had been blowing lately, but the more she listened, the more it sounded more like someone trying to pick the lock on the kitchen door. Listening to her gut, she grabbed her gun and made her way silently down the hall to where she could peek into the kitchen without being seen from outside.

Staying low, she saw a shadowy figure trying to get through the door. Slipping silently back down the hallway, she retreated into the bedroom and locked the door. She sent the 'agent in distress' signal from her cell phone and then texted Callen that someone was trying to break in. She let him know she was in the master bedroom with the door locked. She checked the windows, closed the drapes, wedged the piece of wood Callen usually used to keep the door open underneath the door, slid the two small dressers that were along the same wall as the door in front of it side by side, and upended the marble table between the bed and the bathroom. She shut the bathroom door before shimmying under the bed hoping to make it look like someone might be hiding in the bathroom. She was small enough to hide under the bed completely while still being able to see the bedroom door and aim her weapon upon it. She made sure the safety was off before she settled down to wait for someone to try the door, knowing she was as prepared as she could be for whatever was going to happen next.

The waiting was nerve-racking but she knew she had done everything possible to ensure her safety and that of Callen's. Sending the 'agent in distress' signal would ensure that the entire team responded with Callen having backup with him once he arrived at the house. Letting him know she was in the master bedroom would give him and the team the security to take down anyone else that happened to be in or around the house without having to worry about her getting caught in the cross-fire.

Nell was wondering what was taking the team so long to get there when she heard soft footsteps approaching the bedroom door. A few seconds later, she heard the handle being jiggled. Someone then tried unsuccessfully to kick down the door. She was never so happy that Callen had insisted on having a solid-core door with re-enforced hinges installed for their bedroom door.

Whoever was trying to get in finally quit trying to kick the door in. Frustrated by their unsuccessful efforts, whoever it was shot out the lock and tried pushing the door open, but the dressers were also solid wood and heavy. They would slow the intruder down, but Nell knew it was only a matter of time before the room was breached. If no one arrived in time to help, she was determined to make every shot from her gun count. She wasn't about to go down without a fight.

The first person through the door didn't have a chance. His face was turned toward the bathroom door as her shot took him in the chest and downed him on the spot. Suddenly multiple gun shots were heard along with thuds coming from the back of the house, indicating people down. Then she heard Callen's voice calling out for her. She remained where she was until she heard the all clear from the team and then called "I'm in the bedroom Callen. I'm okay. Is everything under control?"

"Yes, Nell. We got them all, even Stefan. It's over." Callen rushed into the room looking around desperately. "Where are you?"

"I'm here" she said as she shimmied back out from under the bed.

He looked at her in surprise. "Very creative hiding place. I actually thought you were in the bathroom."

"The guy on the floor thought so too which was why I was able to shoot him. That's why I was under the bed. I wasn't going to go easily. But I'm glad you're here now." She wrapped her arms around him and hung on for dear life. She was so very relieved to have him here with her and unhurt. "Are you okay? No one got hurt did they?"

"You stole m line...I'm supposed to be the one to ask are you okay?" Callen tilted her head up to him and looked deep into her eyes.

"Yes, I'm good. I can take care of myself you know." She smirked just a little as she said it while waving her hand toward the man dead on the floor. She had been protecting her own life and her home. _"Well, Callen's home, but I consider it my home too since I'm with G and it's his home. We did decorate it together. I feel safe here with G and I'm not about to let anyone take that away from me without a fight."_

Stefan had chosen to invade her home and one of his team had paid the price for it at her hand. She knew the death she had dealt would trouble her on some level for a long time, but she knew the death was justified and didn't feel guilty about it. She hoped she never became numb to the death she was around every day. If she did, she would know it was time to walk away from her job.

"Don't I know it, little spider. I've known that for a very long time." He looked at her with pride evident on his face before kissing her again. The look on his face as well as the kiss made her feel really good inside. Callen continued "I'm sorry you had to use your gun but I'm glad you're okay."

"Thanks, G. I wish I hadn't had to shoot him, but I wasn't about to go down without a fight." She snuggled further into his embrace before adding "You know, a lot of people don't see me like you do."

"Then it's their loss, isn't it? You're one awesome lady, Nell. Have I told you lately that I love you?"

"No, but I would really like to hear it again right now. I'm glad you're here and no one got hurt but the bad guys. I was really scared, but I wasn't going to give up. I trusted my training just like in the kill house. You taught me that." She stood up on her tiptoes and kissed him before putting her head against his chest to feel his strong heart beat.

She and Callen stood there for a couple of more minutes taking comfort in each other before rejoining the rest of the team.

~,~,~

Sam, Deeks and Kensi made sure that all of Stefan's team was accounted for. As they waited for the ambulances to arrive to take the wounded to the hospital under armed guard, they all breathed sighs of relief that the threat was finally neutralized.

Callen and Nell walked out of the bedroom and joined the rest of the team in the living room. Nell proceeded to get Hetty linked in so they could provide her with all the pertinent information. Three of Stefan's team had been killed, counting the one Nell took out, and the three remaining members, including Stefan were on their way to the hospital. When everyone had given their verbal reports to Hetty, they waited to see what she would say.

"I've already informed the hospital that they are to be patched up before being taken into federal custody. I have some questions for Mr. Badžo but once I'm done, he will be going to a very secure location for a very long time. His lists of crimes will ensure that he never sees the light of day as a free man again." Hetty was glad the operation was over. "All of you, get some sleep and meet here tomorrow. You can complete your after-action reports then. Well done, all of you." With that, Hetty signed off.

~,~,~

Kensi, Deeks and Sam said goodnight to Callen and Nell as they left the house. Callen closed the door then gathered Nell into his arms for another hug which they both needed.

"Let's clean up the bedroom, eat some of the takeout and then call it a night. The rest can wait."

"Sounds like a plan, G. I'm surprised, but I find that I'm hungry."

"So am I Nell, so am I."

They went into the kitchen and grabbed the take-out cartons and a couple of beers before going into the living room and sitting side by side while they devoured their food. As soon as they were finished, they put the leftovers away, locked up and turned off the lights. Proceeding down the hall they set the bedroom to rights as much as possible. Callen would have to repair the door later, but everything else was put back in it's place and the room tidied up. He and Nell then collapsed into bed; both asleep within minutes in each other's arms.

~,~,~

FINI

Raderle

~,~,~

AN: Don't worry, I'll be back soon. I have several stories in various stages of completion. Once they're done, I'll start posting them.


End file.
